Air North

Infobox_Airline
airline=Air North
logo=AirNorthLogo.jpg
logo_size=218
fleet_size=6
destinations=8
IATA=4N
ICAO=ANT
callsign=AIR NORTH
parent=Joseph Sparling
founded=1977
headquarters=Whitehorse, Yukon
key_people=Joseph Sparling, CEO and President
hubs=Whitehorse International Airport
focus_cities=Vancouver International Airport
Dawson City
magazine=Yukon, North of Ordinary
company slogan=Air North, Yukon's Airline
alliance=
website= http://www.flyairnorth.com
:"For the Australian airline, see Airnorth. For the U.S. airline formerly known as Air North, see Brockway Air."Air North Charter and Training Ltd., operating as Air North, Yukon's Airline is an airline based in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. It operates scheduled passenger, charter, cargo and ground handling services throughout the Yukon, with extensions to Calgary, Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Fairbanks, Alaska, Inuvik, Northwest Territories, and Vancouver, British Columbia. Its main base is Whitehorse International Airportcite news | title= Directory: World Airlines | work= Flight International | page= 64 | date= 2007-03-27] .

History

The airline was established and started operations in 1977 with a single Cessna 206. Later came Douglas DC-3s, a Douglas DC-4, and a variety of Cessnas, DeHavillands and Beechcrafts. From 1996 the fleet of piston powered aircraft were replaced with more modern turboprop aircraft, and by the late 1990s the fleet consisted of one Beechcraft Model 99 and three Hawker Siddeley 748 Series 2As. A pair of Boeing 737-200 jets were acquired in 2002, the Beech 99 was sold in 2005, and a fourth Hawker Siddeley 748 was acquired in 2006. [ [http://www.flyairnorth.com/Experience/Corporate.aspx Air North Experience | Corporate Information ] ] Fact|date=April 2007

Air North is owned by Joseph Sparling (51%) (airline President) and Vuntut Development (49%), an arm of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation. It now has over 200 employees (as of May 2008), and over 1200 Class C & D shareholders.

Since the arrival of the Boeing 737s, the Air North property has expanded and now includes the old Hawker Hangar and cargo area, a new 737 tent, a new reservations/administration building, an in-house catering department, a small ground equipment hangar, and a new space for Cabin Services. In conjunction with Harper Street Publishing, Air North launched its inflight magazine, "Yukon, North of Ordinary" (www.northofordinary.ca) in February 2007. Yukon, North of Ordinary is published quarterly with a press run of 20,000, it's available inflight, via subscriptions and in bookstores across Canada. The magazine is owned and operated by Harper Street Publishing of Dawson City, Yukon.

Destinations

*flagicon|Canada Canada
**Alberta
***Calgary International Airport
***Edmonton International Airport
**British Columbia
***Vancouver International Airport
**Northwest Territories
***Inuvik Airport
**Yukon Territory
***Whitehorse International Airport
***Dawson City Airport
***Old Crow Airport

*flagicon|USA United States of America
**Alaska
***Fairbanks International Airport

Fleet

The Air North fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of May 2008) :

*2 Boeing 737-200Adv
*4 Hawker Siddeley 748 Series 2A

Previously operated

*Cessna 150
*Cessna 172
*Cessna 185
*Cessna 206
*Cessna 337
*Britten Norman Islander
*Beechcraft 18
*Beechcraft 80
*Beechcraft Model 99
*De Havilland Beaver
*De Havilland Otter
*De Havilland Caribou
*Douglas DC-3
*Douglas DC-4 [ [http://www.flyairnorth.com/Experience/Corporate.aspx Air North Experience | Corporate Information ] ]

Ground Handler

At Vancouver International Airport, Air North was the Ground and Passenger Service Handler for airline partner Harmony Airways before Harmony Airways ceased operations in Spring 2007. Air North also provides ground handling for American Airlines at YVR.

At Calgary International Airport, Air North uses WingTips Airport Services for passenger services, and Servisair for ramp services. WingTips provides agents for check-in, departures, and arrivals. Servisair provides ramp and baggage services. The relationship is somewhat beneficial for Air North; WingTips staff represent many airlines so some agents are not as up to speed with Air North operations as a passenger may expect from an airline. Servisair represents many airlines as well which schedules sometimes coincide with Air North forcing the company to run short staffed.

At Inuvik, N.W.T., Air North flights are handled by First Air.

At Whitehorse International Airport, Air North runs its own operation, as well as all ground handling for Condor and First Air. Also, when Air Canada Jazz overnights at Whitehorse, the return catering is removed from the aircraft and stored at the Air North catering facility.

External links

* [http://www.flyairnorth.com/ Air North official website]
* [http://www.northofordinary.ca/ Yukon, North of Ordinary inflight magazine]

References