Bradley Air Services, operating as Canadian North, is a wholly

Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...

-owned airline headquartered in

Kanata, Ontario Kanata (, ) is a suburb of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located about west of the city's downtown core. As of 2021, Kanata had an urban population of 137,118. Before it was amalgamated into Ottawa in 2001, it was one of the fastest-growing ...

, Canada. It operates scheduled passenger services to communities in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Nunavik region of

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, as well as southern destinations such as

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

and Ottawa. The company slogan is ''Fly the Arctic.''

History

First Air Bradley Air Services Limited, operating as First Air, was an airline headquartered in Kanata, a suburb of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Ottawa and

North Bay, Ontario North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing. North Bay developed as a railroad centre, and its airport was an important military ...

. This service was operated with an eight-seat passenger plane. Canadian North was established in 1989 as a subsidiary of

Canadian Airlines International Canadian Airlines International Ltd. (stylized as Canadi›n Airlines or Canadi‹n Airlines, or simply Canadian) was a Canadian airline that operated from 1987 until 2001. The airline was Canada's second largest airline after Air Canada, carr ...

, specifically to serve northern Canadian communities' needs. The airline traces its roots to former operators Nordair in the Eastern Arctic, and Pacific Western Airlines in the West. Wardair also maintained a significant Arctic presence during its existence. In September, 1998, Canadian North was renamed Air Norterra, whose ownership was divided equally among the Inuvialuit Development Corporation, representing the

Inuvialuit The Inuvialuit (sing. Inuvialuk; ''the real people'') or Western Canadian Inuit are Inuit who live in the western Canadian Arctic region. They, like all other Inuit, are descendants of the Thule who migrated eastward from Alaska. Their homelan ...

people of the western Canadian Arctic, and Nunasi Corporation, representing the

of Nunavut. After utilizing three different livery schemes, the airline adopted its final pre-merger logo in 2003. Its logo displays three of the distinctive symbols of the North: the polar bear, the

midnight sun The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer months in places north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle, when the Sun remains visible at the local midnight. When the midnight sun is seen in the Arctic, ...

and the Northern Lights. Canadian North's slogan was changed from "Your North. Your Airline" to "seriously northern" (all in lower-case), with advertising changed to reflect different aspects of the company (serious service, serious delivery, etc.).Who We Are
/ref> In June, 2007, Canadian North began serving the Kitikmeot communities of

Gjoa Haven Gjoa Haven (; Inuktitut: Uqsuqtuuq, syllabics: ᐅᖅᓱᖅᑑᖅ , meaning "lots of fat", referring to the abundance of sea mammals in the nearby waters; or �ʒɔa evən is an Inuit hamlet in Nunavut, above the Arctic Circle, located in t ...

Taloyoak Taloyoak or Talurjuaq (Inuktitut syllabics: ᑕᓗᕐᔪᐊᖅ ), formerly known as Spence Bay until 1 July 1992, although the body of water on which it is situated continues to be known as Spence Bay — same as the body of water on which Iq ...

Kugaaruk Kugaaruk (Inuktitut syllabics: ᑰᒑᕐᔪᒃ ''Kuugaarjuk'' or ᑰᒑᕐᕈᒃ ''Kuugaarruk''; English: "little stream") (also called ''Arviligjuaq'', meaning "the great bowhead whale habitat"), formerly known as Pelly Bay until 3 December 19 ...

, and

Kugluktuk Kugluktuk (, ; Inuktitut syllabics: ; ), formerly known as Coppermine until 1 January 1996, is a hamlet located at the mouth of the Coppermine River in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut, Canada, on Coronation Gulf, southwest of Victoria Island. I ...

. In April, 2008, flights began to seven communities in the Qikiqtaaluk Region (Baffin Region) of Nunavut.Canadian North Launches New Service to Seven Baffin Communities
/ref> On April 1, 2014, the Inuvialuit Development Corporation (IDC), representing the Inuvialuit of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, bought the 50% share of NorTerra held by Nunasi. This purchase of NorTerra gave the IDC complete control of Canadian North

Northern Transportation Company Marine Transportation Services (MTS) formerly Northern Transportation Company Limited (NTCL) is a marine transportation company operating primarily in the Mackenzie River watershed of the Northwest Territories and northern Alberta, and the Arc ...

and other companies that were jointly-held. On April 11, 2014, Norterra and the

Makivik Corporation Makivik Corporation ( iu, ᒪᑭᕝᕕᒃ ᑯᐊᐳᕇᓴᑦ, script=, ; french: Société Makivik) is the legal representative of Quebec's Inuit, established in 1978 under the terms of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, the agreement t ...

, owners of First Air announced that they were in negotiations to merge the two airlines. According to a website that had been set up on that same day, the new airline would be owned equally between the two companies and "a merger would create a stronger, more sustainable business, provide better service to customers and lead to new economic development opportunities across the North. We believe the two companies would complement each other's strengths." In October, 2014, it was announced the merger would not go through, but Canadian North would still

codeshare A codeshare agreement, also known simply as codeshare, is a business arrangement, common in the aviation industry, in which two or more airlines publish and market the same flight under their own airline designator and flight number (the "airli ...

on some flights with First Air until 16 May 2017. On February 23, 2017, the Inuvialuit Development Corporation (IDC) announced that arrangements had been concluded to transfer ownership of Canadian North directly into Inuvialuit Development Corporation. On September 28, 2018, Makivik Corporation and the Inuvialuit Corporate Group (ICG) signed a definitive agreement to merge Canadian North and First Air, again awaiting government approval. The new airline would use the new First Air livery, but would operate under the name "Canadian North". On June 19, 2019, the federal government gave approval to the merger provided several terms and conditions were met. On November 1, 2019, First Air and Canadian North completed the merger and combined schedules into one, using the code 5T, dropping First Air's 7F code as well as the name but keeping the livery. In early 2021 the callsigns "First Air" and "Empress" were retired and the combined airline began operating as 5T/AKT, callsign "Arctic." As of December 18, 2021, operations are now under the Canadian North name with a new livery. Canadian North confirmed in December 2022 to retire their last

Boeing 737-200 The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Renton Factory in Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the 707 fuselage width and six abreast seating with two u ...

by early 2023, replacing it with turboprop aircraft with similar gravel runway capabilities.

Destinations

C-FTIL Canadian North-First Air ATR42-500 at Cambridge Bay Airport

As of December 22, 2022, Canadian North has the following 28 domestic scheduled destinations:Flight Schedule
/ref>

Charter operations

Canadian North offers charters to anywhere, non-stop flights in continental North America and maintain charter terminals at Calgary and

Fleet

Current fleet

Over time the registration of the fleet has moved from Canadian North to Bradley Air Services (First Air). As of December 2022, the fleet consists of 32 aircraft all registered to Bradley Air Services. CanadianNorthBoeing737-300C-FKCN YYCNovember2018

CanadianNorthBoeing737-300C-FKCN YYCNovember2018

Retired fleet

Aircraft previously operated include: *

Fokker F28 Fellowship The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a twin-engined, short-range jet airliner designed and built by Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. Following the Fokker F27 Friendship, an early and commercially successful turboprop-powered regional airliner, Fokk ...

( F.28 Mk 1000) *

Fokker 100 The Fokker 100 is a regional jet produced by Fokker in the Netherlands. The Fokker 100 is based on the Fokker F28 with a fuselage stretched by to seat up to 109 passengers, up from 85. It is powered by two newer Rolls-Royce Tay turbofans, ...

(listed by

Transport Canada Transport Canada (french: Transports Canada) is the department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of road, rail, marine and air transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transporta ...

as a F.28 Mk 0100) *

De Havilland Canada Dash 8 The De Havilland Canada DHC-8, commonly known as the Dash 8, is a series of turboprop-powered regional airliners, introduced by de Havilland Canada (DHC) in 1984. DHC was later bought by Boeing in 1988, then by Bombardier in 1992; then by ...

Corporate affairs

The company headquarters are in

, the former First Air HQ. Canadian North had its headquarters in the Northwest Tower,Administration
." Canadian North. Retrieved on January 20, 2011. "Head Office - Yellowknife 300, 5201 50 Ave. Yellowknife, NT X1A 3S9 Canada" in downtown Yellowknife. The airline announced that when its lease was to expire in the end of August 2013, the airline would vacate the office and move it and 20 employees out of Yellowknife. The airline kept its community and marketing support employees in Yellowknife. Most of the employees who relocated were from the accounting division. Lisa Hicks, a spokesperson, stated that there had been excess capacity at the airline's offices in Edmonton and Yellowknife. Canadian North headquarters were moved to the grounds of

Calgary International Airport Calgary International Airport , branded as YYC Calgary International Airport, is an international airport that serves the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is located approximately northeast of downtown and covers an area of 20.82 squa ...

in Calgary, Alberta. In addition it has regional offices in

Iqaluit Iqaluit ( ; , ; ) is the capital of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian territory of Nunavut, its largest community, and its only city. It was known as Frobisher Bay from 1942 to 1987, after the Frobisher Bay, large bay on the c ...

, Nunavut, and in

Yellowknife Yellowknife (; Dogrib: ) is the capital, largest community, and only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the ...

, Northwest Territories. It also has an operations office in Edmonton, Alberta, on the grounds of

Edmonton International Airport Edmonton International Airport, as of August 29, 2022, officially branded YEG Edmonton International Airport is the primary air passenger and air cargo facility in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region of the Canadian province of Alberta. Designat ...

. Following the takeover by First Air, the former headquarters in Calgary was shut down and remaining management was transferred to Kanata.

Programs and services

Canadian North in-flight service includes leather seating, advanced seat selection, free newspapers and magazines, and free colouring books and crayons for children. The airline offers

Aeroplan Aeroplan is a coalition loyalty program owned by Air Canada, Canada's flag carrier. The Aeroplan program was created in July 1984 by Air Canada as an incentive program for its frequent flyer customers. In 2002 it was spun off as a separate corpo ...

rewards points, both to collect and to redeem. Passengers may redeem Air Miles points for travel on Canadian North.Welcome aboard your NEW Canadian North
/ref> Canadian North has

codeshare agreement A codeshare agreement, also known simply as codeshare, is a business arrangement, common in the aviation industry, in which two or more airlines publish and market the same flight under their own airline designator and flight number (the "airli ...

s with

Air North Air North Charter and Training Ltd., operating as , is a Canadian airline based in Whitehorse, Yukon. It operates scheduled passenger and cargo flights throughout Yukon, as well as between Yukon and the Northwest Territories, British Columbia ...

and

Calm Air Calm Air International LP. is a full service airline, offering passenger, charter and freight services in northern Manitoba and the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut. It is owned by Exchange Income Corporation with its main base in Winnipeg, Manitoba. ...

. Canadian North also has its own "Aurora Concierge" and Aurora Rewards program for frequent travellers. Benefits of being an Aurora Concierge member include: Priority

check-in Check-in is the process whereby people announce their arrival at an office, hotel, airport, hospital, seaport or event. Office check-in Many offices have a reception or front office area near the entrance to greet or assist visitors arriving to a ...

, baggage, and boarding, extra piece of checked luggage, free alcoholic beverages, no fee changes, personalized membership card and baggage tag, and more. In 2005 the airline started offering a Pivut Fare ("ours") to beneficiaries of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement.Pivut Fares
. ''Canadian North''. October 6, 2020.

References

External links

* {{Airlines of Canada Air Transport Association of Canada Regional airlines of the Northwest Territories Regional airlines of Nunavut Airlines established in 1973 Airlines established in 1989 Companies based in the Northwest Territories Inuvialuit companies Regional airlines of Ontario Companies based in Ottawa Inuit transport Cargo airlines of Canada Canadian companies established in 1973 Canadian companies established in 1989