Feds, NWT Aid Local Operators

The Government of the Northwest Territories has come to the aid of a number of relatively small local air operators to help ensure their financial viability during the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic.

The NWT government announced in a news release a week ago that another $3 million will be disbursed, bringing the amount of financial aid to the northern aviation industry to a total of $13.6 million since March of this year. The government stated that the funds will be used in support of the northern supply chain.

The air operators participating in the aid package are:

• Summit Air, $1.2 million.
• Buffalo Airways, $397,000.
• South Nahanni Airways, $164,000.
• Landa Aviation, $81,000.
• Great Slave Helicopters, $497,000.
• Acasta HeliFlight, $319,000.
• Denendeh Helicopters, $132,000.
• K’ahsho Got’ine Helicopters, $42,000.
• Sahtu Helicopters, $38,000.
• Dehcho Regional Helicopters, $29,000.

Last month, the federal government announced a $17.3 million financial aid packaged destined to support northern passenger airlines across all three northern territories, with the N.W.T. receiving $8.7 million, Nunavut $5 million and the Yukon $3.6 million. N.W.T. carriers which benefited from the air package were:

• Canadian North, $5,372,000.
• Air Tindi, $1,565,000.
• Northwestern Air Lease, $793,000.
• North-Wright Airways, $589,000.
• Aklak Air, $381,000.

Northern airline representatives have gone on record saying that the amounts were not enough, but government representatives have said that more aid will be forthcoming.