A Douglas DC-3 in Air North livery. The airline acquired several DC-3s throughout the 1980s.
The airline was established by Joe Sparling and Tom Woods, and started flight training and general purpose charter operations in 1977 with a single Cessna 206.[citation needed] Throughout the 1980s, the company grew and acquired several aircraft including Douglas DC-3s, a Douglas DC-4, and a variety of Cessnas, de Havillands and other aircraft. Air North also began[when?] offering scheduled passenger and cargo service in addition to charter services.[citation needed]
The Beech 99 was sold in 2005, a fourth Hawker Siddeley 748 was acquired in 2006, and in 2008 a Boeing 737-200 Combi was acquired.[citation needed] The combi's large main deck cargo door and moveable bulkhead allowed for all-cargo as well as mixed cargo/passenger operations. A gravel kit was later installed on the 737 Combi, allowing the aircraft to operate on the airline's northern routes.[citation needed]
An Air North Boeing 737-500 in July 2012. The airline acquired several 737s in the 2010s.
In 2010, the airline started a new fleet expansion and modernization plan, purchasing a 737-400 and a winglet-equipped 737-500.[9] In 2012, a fifth HS-748 (a pure freighter equipped with the large freight door) and a second 737-500 were acquired. This was followed by a third 737-500 in 2014, sporting an updated livery, and a fourth 737-500 entered service in 2016.[citation needed]
In 2017, two ATR 42 combi aircraft were introduced to replace existing HS748 aircraft, ending worldwide scheduled passenger HS-748 service. With newer aircraft in service, the three 737-200s and five HS-748s were retired or sold. Some are now parked behind Air North's maintenance base and used for spare parts and staff training.[10]
In 2024, the company's fleet was further updated with the introduction of two 737-800 aircraft. Both are equipped with winglets, improved performance and updated, Boeing Sky-style interiors.[12]
Since the arrival of the Boeing 737s, the main Air North base in Whitehorse has steadily expanded. It now includes the original hangar which is now used as a cargo warehouse and ground equipment shop, a new aircraft maintenance hangar, a reservations and administration building, an operations centre, an in-house catering and cabin services department, and a fuelling facility. Air North also operates secondary bases in Vancouver, B.C. and Dawson City, Yukon. The in-house catering building opened in the mid-2000s, enabling Air North to offer in-flight meals. Yukon products are featured when possible, and often include Midnight Sun coffee and Yukon Brewing beer.
In conjunction with North of Ordinary Media, Air North launched its inflight magazine, Yukon, North of Ordinary[13] in February 2007. The magazine is published quarterly and is available in-flight, via subscription, and in bookstores across Canada. The magazine is owned and operated by North of Ordinary Media.
An Air North flight receives a water-cannon salute after completing the airline's first scheduled flight to Victoria from Whitehorse, May 2018.
The remainder of Air North's revenue comes from ground handling services at Whitehorse, Dawson City, Old Crow, Edmonton, and Vancouver Airports, as well as Jet-A refuelling services at Whitehorse. Air North is currently the main provider of Jet-A fuel service in Whitehorse. It is also the ground handler for Condor Airlines and WestJet in Whitehorse, as well as several airlines in Vancouver.
In May 2022, Air North launched its inaugural twice-weekly flight to Toronto via Yellowknife.[14]
Air North is now owned by Joseph Sparling (51%) (President, CEO, and Boeing 737 Captain) and the Vuntut Development Corporation (49%), an arm of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation. Air North is one of the largest private sector employers in Yukon. As of 2015 it has over 500 employees and more than 1,200 Class C & D shareholders.
Destinations
Most of Air North's work is scheduled passenger and cargo flights between Whitehorse and Vancouver, Kelowna, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Dawson City, Old Crow, Mayo and Inuvik. It also has summer seasonal service to Yellowknife, Ottawa and Toronto. Air North also runs regular freight trips and fuel-haul flights to the fly-in only community of Old Crow, Yukon. In addition to scheduled routes, Air North also offers passenger, combi, cargo, and fuel-haul charter services to anywhere in North America with the ATR 42s and Boeing 737s. Regular charter customers include mine operators, cruise ship tour operators, fishing lodges, and sports teams.[15]
Tails on Air North airplanes are painted orange with a "Yukon" wordmark. The design is also used on the plane's winglets (if present).
Air North's aircraft are painted white except for the lettering on the fuselage, wings, and vertical stabilizer. On the fuselage, the words "Air North" and "Yukon's Airline" are painted, although the positioning varies by aircraft type. On aircraft without winglets, "flyairnorth.com" is painted somewhere on the fuselage.
The tail is painted orange with a stylized "Yukon" printed in white.
On aircraft with winglets, the outside is designed like the tail, with an orange background and the stylized "Yukon" printed on it. On the inside, "flyairnorth.com" is printed.
Yukon, North of Ordinary
Yukon, North of Ordinary (YNoO) is a quarterly arts, travel, and culture magazine in Yukon, Canada. The magazine was first published in February 2007.[21] It is also the official inflight magazine for Air North.[13]
Accidents and incidents
On 20 September 1987, Piper PA-31 Navajo C-GPAC crashed on a flight from Whitehorse to Juneau, Alaska, killing all five on board. The plane crashed into a glacier at 4,500ft (1,400m).[22]
On 19 August 1995, Douglas C-47B C-GZOF crashed on approach to Vancouver International Airport, Richmond, British Columbia, killing one of the three crew. The aircraft was on a ferry flight to Prince Rupert Airport when the starboard propeller went into overspeed and the decision was made to return to Vancouver International.[23]
On 14 August 1996, Douglas DC-4 C-FGNI crashed shortly after takeoff from Bronson Creek mine in Northern British Columbia with three crew and a full load of gold ore cargo on board. On climbout, number 2 engine caught fire and eventually separated from the aircraft. The crew attempted to bring the aircraft back to land, but the aircraft could not maintain altitude on three engines and the crew instead landed in the Iskut River about 1.2 nautical miles (2.2km; 1.4mi) west of the Bronson Creek airstrip, where all three crew were able to escape the wreckage. The first officer and load master swam to shore, but the captain was never found and presumed to have drowned.[24]
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