Air Inuit

Air Inuit
Air Inuit headquarters at the Montreal-Trudeau Airport
IATA ICAO Call sign
3H[1] AIE[2] INUIT[2]
FoundedNovember 1978; 46 years ago (1978-11)
AOC #Canada 2955,[3]
United States ILLF043F[4]
Operating bases
Frequent-flyer programIsaruuk Reward Program
Fleet size34[5]
Destinations21[6]
Parent companyMakivik Corporation
HeadquartersSaint-Laurent, Quebec
Key peopleChristian Busch (President, Air Inuit)
Websitewww.airinuit.com
A Twin Otter at Beechey Island visiting the graves of sailors from the lost expedition of John Franklin
One of Air Inuit's five Boeing 737-200s, at Val-d'Or Airport.
A De Havilland Canada Dash 8-102 belonging to Air Inuit at Cornwall, Ontario, May 2005

Air Inuit (Inuktitut syllabics: ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖃᖓᑦᑕᔪᖏᑦ) is an airline headquartered in the Montreal borough of Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada.[7] It operates domestic passenger services and charter and cargo services in Nunavik, southern Quebec, and Nunavut. Its main base is Kuujjuaq Airport.[8]

History

The airline was established and started operations in 1978 using a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver aircraft. The airline is collectively owned by the Inuit of Nunavik through the Makivik Corporation.[9]

In 1984 acquired Chaparal Charters and its fleet of two Twin Otters and one Douglas DC-3.[10]

In 2012, Air Inuit relocated their headquarters to a new multi-purpose facility on Côte-Vertu Boulevard near the Montréal–Trudeau International Airport.[7][9]

In 2016, Air Inuit pilot Melissa Haney became the first female Inuk pilot to reach the rank of captain. She was featured on a commemorative postage stamp released by the Canadian Ninety-Nines.[11]

In 2023, Air Inuit announced the retirement of its Boeing 737-200 Combi aircraft. The airline will replace the Boeing 737-200 with three Boeing 737-800 Combi aircraft.[12]

Destinations

Air Inuit operates scheduled services to the following domestic destinations (July 2023):[6]

Scheduled flights

Province Community/City IATA ICAO Airport Notes
Nunavut Sanikiluaq YSK CYSK Sanikiluaq Airport
Quebec Akulivik AKV CYKO Akulivik Airport
Aupaluk YPJ CYLA Aupaluk Airport
Inukjuak YPH CYPH Inukjuak Airport
Ivujivik YIK CYIK Ivujivik Airport
Kangiqsualujjuaq XGR CYLU Kangiqsualujjuaq (Georges River) Airport
Kangiqsujuaq YWB CYKG Kangiqsujuaq (Wakeham Bay) Airport
Kangirsuk YKG CYAS Kangirsuk Airport
Kuujjuaq YVP CYVP Kuujjuaq Airport Hub
Kuujjuarapik YGW CYGW Kuujjuarapik Airport
Montreal YUL CYUL Montréal–Trudeau International Airport Hub
Puvirnituq YPX CYPX Puvirnituq Airport Hub
Quaqtaq YQC CYHA Quaqtaq Airport
Quebec City YQB CYQB Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport
Radisson (La Grande) YGL CYGL La Grande Rivière Airport
Salluit YZG CYZG Salluit Airport
Schefferville YKL CYKL Schefferville Airport
Sept-Îles YZV CYZV Sept-Îles Airport
Tasiujaq YTQ CYTQ Tasiujaq Airport
Umiujaq YUD CYMU Umiujaq Airport

Charters

Air Inuit also offers other charter services to anywhere in North America.[13]

Fleet

Current

As of March 2024, the Air Inuit fleet includes the following aircraft:[5]

Air Inuit fleet
Aircraft Number[5] Orders Variants Notes[14][15]
Beechcraft Super King Air 3 - 300 Series Listed as 350 at Air Inuit, 11 passengers
Boeing 737 5 - 200 Series Combi aircraft, able to operate from gravel airstrips, 112 passengers. To be retired and replaced by Boeing 737-800.[15]
Boeing 737 Classic 1 - 300 Series Up to 130 passengers
Boeing 737 Next Generation 3 – 800 Series
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 7 - 300 Series 3,200 lb (1,500 kg) cargo, 19 passengers
De Havilland Canada Dash 8 15 - 100 Series, 300 Series Three 100 Series combi aircraft, 37 seat maximum, 7,800 lb (3,500 kg) cargo; twelve 300 Series combi and cargo aircraft, 45 seat maximum, 13,500 lb (6,100 kg)
Total 34 0

Air Inuit also has access to a Eurocopter Écureuil (Aerospatiale ASTAR 350) through Nunavik Rotors and a de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter through Johnny May's Air Charters.[14]

On 1 March 2016, Bombardier Inc. announced that Air Inuit would be the launch customer for the Bombardier Q300 Large Cargo Door freighter.[16]

Former

Previously Air Inuit have also flown the following aircraft:[17]

Accidents and incidents

References

  1. ^ "The Airline Codes Website". airlinecodes.co.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  2. ^ a b "ICAO Designators for Canadian Aircraft Operating Agencies, Aeronautical Authorities and Services" (PDF). Nav Canada. 4 May 2023. p. 1. Retrieved 24 February 2023. Air Inuit: AIE, INUIT
  3. ^ Transport Canada (29 August 2019), Civil Aviation Services (CAS) AOC. wwwapps.tc.gc.ca.
  4. ^ "Federal Aviation Administration - Airline Certificate Information - Detail View". av-info.faa.gov. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  5. ^ a b c "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Quick Search Result for Air Inuit". Transport Canada. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Destinations". Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Contact Information". Air Inuit. 2 October 2022. Archived from the original on 9 February 2018. 6005, boul. de la Côte-Vertu Montréal (Québec) H4S 0B1
  8. ^ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 27 March 2007. p. 58.
  9. ^ a b "Air Inuit - History". www.airinuit.com. Air Inuit. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  10. ^ "Chaparal Charters". Airline History. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  11. ^ "Air Inuit's 1st female Inuk captain lands commemorative stamp". CBC News. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  12. ^ "Air Inuit To Retire and Replace Iconic Boeing 737-200". AeroXplorer. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Charter an Aircraft". www.airinuit.com. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Our Fleet". Air Inuit. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  15. ^ a b Air Inuit (3 July 2023). "Fleet Modernization - Air Inuit Ratifies an Agreement to Acquire Three Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 Aircraft to Better Serve the People of Nunavik and Beyond" (PDF). airinuit.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  16. ^ "Air Inuit to be Launch Customer for Bombardier Q300 Freighter with a Large Cargo Door". bombardier.com. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  17. ^ "CCAR - History Search Result for Air Inuit". Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  18. ^ "C-FIRW Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
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