Media Kit

 

First Air Facts

Founded in 1946 as Bradley Air Services, First Air is by far Canada's largest Arctic airline. Here are the essential facts about our company.

Operations

  • First Air provides the only regular, scheduled air service to several communities in Canada's Arctic.
  • First Air contributes $40 million annually to Canada's northern economy.
  • First Air's routes cover more than 15,000 kilometres between the Yukon, and southern Canada.
  • First Air provides charter services worldwide.
  • We carry over 225,000 passengers and 25 million kilograms of cargo (most flights carry both freight and passengers).
  • Sales are approximately $190 million.
  • We are the leading airline in Canada's Arctic, providing scheduled service between 26 northern communities and connections to Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg and Edmonton.

Fleet

  • 1 Boeing 727-200 combi
  • 1 Boeing 727-200 freighter
  • 4 Boeing 737-200 combi
  • 2 Boeing 737-200 - All passenger
  • 1 Boeing 767-223 Super Freighter
  • 2 L382G Super Hercules
  • 1 Hawker Siddeley 748
  • 9 ATR 42

Infrastructure

  • More than 1000 employees, over 450 of whom live in the Arctic
  • Major maintenance facilities are located in Ottawa, Edmonton, Iqaluit, and Yellowknife.
Ownership
  • First Air is wholly owned by the 9,000 Inuit of northern Quebec, through Makivik Corp., created to invest proceeds of the 1975 James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.
  • Makivik Corporation, a non-profit company, purchased First Air in 1990.
  • The Inuit of northern Quebec have invested $50 million in equity and subordinated debt in First Air.
  • Makivik, headquartered in Kuujjuaq, PQ, also owns Air Inuit Ltd., which has served Nunavik (northern Quebec) since 1978.