About First Air » Media Kit
Press Releases
December 16, 2011
No delays in food shipments
December 16, 2011 – Ottawa, Ontario. First Air confirms food shipments destined for Grise Fiord are averaging 7 days from southern shipping points, with 3 days for perishable goods. In the last six weeks, First Air has shipped over 3,200 kilograms of dry, frozen and perishable food products destined for Grise Fiord for both [...]
August 31, 2011
First Air Assumes Responsibility for Site Clean-up
August 31, 2011 – Ottawa, Ontario. First Air, today, confirms the Transportation Safety Bureau (TSB) has completed the first stage of its investigation into the cause of the tragic accident of charter flight 6560. On Monday August 29, First Air assumed responsibility for the final stages of the 6560 Site Remediation and environmental clean-up. “This [...]
August 23, 2011
First Air mourns loss of crew
August 23, 2011 — Ottawa, Ontario. First Air, today, confirms the names of the four crew members whose lives were lost in Saturday’s tragic accident of charter flight 6560. Captain Blair Rutherford – served 15 years with First Air. He is survived by his wife Tatiana, a First Air Flight Attendant since 1997, and two [...]
August 22, 2011
NEWS UPDATE
On Sunday August 21, 2011, First Air Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Chris Ferris, made the following statement to the media from the First Air Head Office in Kanata: As you are aware, yesterday at 12:40pm First Air experienced a tragic loss of charter flight 6560. We are deeply saddened by this tragedy and offer [...]
August 22, 2011
First Air confirms accident
August 20, 2011 – Ottawa, Ontario. At 16:00 EST on Saturday August 20, 2011, First Air confirms an aircraft accident with fatalities. Charter flight #6560 en route to Resolute Bay from Yellowknife last reported communication at 12:40 local time, approximately five miles from Resolute Bay airport. The Boeing 737-200 with registration CGNWN went down at approximately 12:50 local time. Eleven passengers and four [...]
August 20, 2011
NEWS CONFERENCE
Location: First Air 20 Cope Drive Kanata, ON K2M 2V8 Media Centre Tel: 1-888-315-5722 Date: Sunday August 21, 2011 Time: Promptly 11:00 am A statement will be made by: First Air Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Chris Ferris We respectfully request no questions at this time.
July 29, 2011
First Air and partners celebrate Airline Foundations program graduates
July 28, 2011 – Iqaluit, Nunavut. On July 20th, First Air, Qikiqtani First Aviation and Sakku First Aviation celebrated the achievements of 14 graduates who successfully completed the inaugural Airline Foundations training program in Iqaluit. The Airline Foundations program curriculum provided pre-employment training and an overview of aviation customer service careers to help candidates [...]
June 13, 2011
Qikiqtani First Aviation enhances Benefits to Inuit of Qikiqtaaluk
June 13, 2011 – Iqaluit, Nunavut. Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) and Qikiqtani First Aviation Ltd. are pleased to announce enhancements that will benefit Inuit of the Qikiqtaaluk region. “A key priority for QIA is to ensure that Inuit have the best benefits possible,” says Okalik Eegeesiak, President of QIA. “We are pleased that Qikiqtani First [...]
February 24, 2011
Qikiqtaaluk Corporation and First Air sign new airline joint venture agreement
February 17, 2011 – Iqaluit, Nunavut. Qikiqtaaluk Corporation (QC) and First Air are pleased to announce that they have entered into a business agreement to start a new airline. The new entity will be named Qikiqtani First Aviation Ltd, and operate in the Qikiqtani Region under the operating authority of First Air. Qikiqtani First Aviation [...]
November 30, 2010
New airline joint venture in Kivalliq Region
November 30, 2010 – Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. Sakku Investments Corporation and First Air are pleased to announce the launch of Sakku First Aviation Ltd., a joint venture airline headquartered in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut and operating throughout the Kivalliq region. “This partnership represents a significant step forward for the Kivalliq Region,” said Patrick Tagoona, President and [...]
August 19, 2010
Reconstruction begins for Igloo shaped Cathedral
August 19, 2010 – Ottawa, Ontario. The Anglican Diocese of The Arctic, in partnership with Nunavut Construction Corporation (NCC), Triodetic Inc. and First Air, is pleased to announce the beginning of construction of the new St. Jude’s Cathedral in Iqaluit. The construction of St. Jude’s Cathedral is highly anticipated among Iqaluit residents, since the original [...]
July 20, 2010
First Air adds the “Dogsled” livery to northern series
July 21, 2010 – Kanata, Ontario. First Air is proud to announce the eleventh in a series of unique northern images adorning aircraft tails since 2005. First Air’s Boeing 767 Super Freighter now prominently features the fascinating northern image of a traditional dogsled. The image depicts a dog-team crossing Lancaster Sound in the Northwest Passage [...]
July 6, 2010
First Air and Kivalliq Inuit Association announce transportation services agreement for beneficiaries
July 6, 2010 — Ottawa — First Air and the Kivalliq Inuit Association (KIA) are pleased to announce an agreement providing preferred pricing for transportation services for KIA beneficiaries. The agreement provides KIA Beneficiaries with preferred rates for passenger travel throughout the entire First Air route network. The agreement also provides preferred cargo rates to [...]
April 15, 2010
First Air Announces Realignment of Flight Schedule
April 15, 2010 — Ottawa — First Air, The Airline of the North, today announced changes to the scheduled route network to take effect June 1, 2010. Effective June 1, 2010, First Air will make changes to the scheduled route network introducing new service to the community of Norman Wells, Northwest Territories. Service on “trans-territorial” [...]
January 27, 2010
First Air announces expansion in Nunavut’s Kivalliq region
January 27, 2010 — Ottawa — First Air, The Airline of the North, today announced expansion plans into four communities in Nunavut’s Kivalliq region. Effective March 30, 2010, First Air will begin service to the communities of Chesterfield Inlet, Coral Harbour, Repulse Bay, and Whale Cove. With this announcement, First Air now serves the entire [...]
January 15, 2010
Arctic airline First Air mobilizes freighter to fly aid for Haiti
January 15, 2010 — Toronto — Today, First Air mobilized its Boeing 767-223 Super Freighter from Kuujjuaq to Toronto, to load relief supplies bound for Haiti. The aircraft is being donated on behalf of First Air and the Belinda Stronach Foundation. “First Air is pleased to provide critical airlift and financial support to help with [...]
March 3, 2009
First Air continues Nunavut expansion with introduction of Baker Lake connection to Rankin Inlet
Ottawa, Ontario – March 3, 2009, First Air, The Airline of the North is pleased to announce scheduled service 5 days per week between Rankin Inlet and Baker Lake effective March 16, 2009. This service will be operated by Unaalik Aviation on behalf of First Air and will connect directly to the recently announced First [...]
February 16, 2009
First Air announces return of jet passenger service between Winnipeg and Rankin Inlet
Ottawa, Ontario – February 16, 2009 – Beginning March 2, 2009 passengers will once again be able to enjoy passenger jet service between the communities of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut and Winnipeg, Manitoba. First Air, “The Airline of the North”, will offer jet service 5 days a week between these communities with a Boeing 737 aircraft. [...]
December 18, 2008
First Air responds to announcement of seasonal service for Yellowknife market by southern carrier
Ottawa, Ontario – December 18, 2008 – First Air, “The Airline of the North” believes that the service introduction announced Wednesday by another southern carrier comes at a time when the northern economy is retreating from peak levels of activity. Travel is already in decline for key segments of the travel market with the resource [...]
August 18, 2008
First Air announces withdrawal of passenger service between Winnipeg and Rankin Inlet
Ottawa, Ontario – August 18, 2008 – Jet passenger service between Winnipeg, Manitoba and the communities of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut and Thompson, Manitoba is ending. First Air’s last passenger flight between these communities operates on Sunday September 14, 2008. The loss of significant passenger traffic between the Kivalliq communities of Nunavut and Winnipeg since April [...]
