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Unaalik suspends Kitikmeot flights

Routes lose viability after loss of freight contract

JIM BELL

Unaalik Aviation Inc., a small Inuit-owned airline that offers scheduled, charter and air ambulance services through a joint venture with Kenn Borek Airways, announced this week that they’re suspending scheduled flights between Cambridge Bay and Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak and Kugaaruk, as of Jan. 1.

Jimi Onalik, president of the airline, said his company was forced to cut back on its Kitikmeot operations to save money after it lost an Arctic Co-operatives Ltd. freight contract to First Air.

With that contract, Unaalik was able to just break even on its scheduled Kitikmeot flights, but without it, they found themselves losing “substantial amounts of money,” Onalik said.

That’s because they couldn’t find enough freight business from other customers to replace the business they lost to their competition.

Unaalik served its Kitikmeot routes with a Brazilian-made 15-seater Embraer Bandierante, or “EMB 110” aircraft.

The company has a partnership arrangement with the Canadian North airline. Onalik said he and Canadian North will look at the possibility of resuming the service after the end of next February, when they expect business from mineral exploration firms to pick up.

Customers with tickets booked beyond Jan. 1, 2007 will have their flights rescheduled on other airlines.

The suspension does not affect the company’s scheduled flights in the Qikiqtaaluk region, where Unaalik Aviation will continue to serve Cape Dorset, Grise Fiord, Igloolik, Iqaluit, Kimmirut, Pangnirtung, Pond Inlet, Qikiqtarjuaq and Resolute Bay, Onalik said.

The company will continue to offer air charter services from Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and Resolute Bay.

Recent fuel price increases in Nunavut did not play a role in his company’s decision to suspend its Kitikmeot scheduled flights, Onalik said.

“That was a very remote factor,” he said.

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