Canadian North launches weekly Yellowknife-Iqaluit-Ottawa flights

Canadian North will begin operating weekly flights between Yellowknife, Iqaluit and Ottawa from the start of June 2023.

Calling the route its Arctic Capital Express, Canadian North made the announcement on Thursday. The airline’s boss, Michael Rodyniuk, had hinted at the route in an interview late last year.

“Connectivity a little farther north might be something interesting for us to explore,” Rodyniuk said at the time.

The route will operate for the first time on June 8. Flight 119 will leave Ottawa at 9:40am ET, arriving in Yellowknife at 3:20pm MT having visited Iqaluit along the way. Flight 118 will leave Yellowknife at 11am MT and make the reverse journey, arriving in Ottawa at 9pm ET.

“Our new Arctic Capital Express will help streamline travel and shipping,” Rodyniuk was quoted as saying in Thursday’s press release. “We’re focused on improving northern air service. It is our mission to make life better in the communities we serve.”

The Yellowknife-Iqaluit route was briefly mentioned in a Canadian North press release last month, but its appearance was overshadowed by controversy over the airline’s decision to drop half of its scheduled services to and from Norman Wells.

The town’s mayor, Frank Pope, says negotiations with the airline about reinstating some of those flights are continuing.