NWAL switching to Air Tindi’s Yellowknife terminal from January

Starting January 4, Northwestern Air will operate its Yellowknife passenger service from Air Tindi’s new terminal at 107 Berry Street, a switch from the city’s main air terminal.

Air Tindi will then handle counter, ramp, and cargo service for the airline’s customers, and will shuttle customers between the main terminal and the Berry Street terminal.

Passengers heading to Yellowknife for medical travel will be picked up and dropped off at the new location, the airline said.

Fort Smith-based Northwestern, known as NWAL, previously operated from the main Yellowknife terminal with the assistance of Det’on Cho Logistics.

As Det’on Cho primarily handles cargo and Northwestern was its only customer requiring passenger services, Northwestern decided partnering with another passenger airline more sense.

Chief operating officer Jim Heidema said the move will allow Northwestern to provide longer operating hours and better customer support, such as extended cargo pickup and drop-off times.

Air Tindi recently acquired the former G&G Expediting building at 107 Berry Street and is renovating it to become a passenger reception area, which Northwestern will share.

Heidema said Air Tindi uses the same software as Northwestern, which will make the transition simpler, and Air Tindi staff will be trained on Northwestern’s planes over the next month so staff can help passengers board and leave the planes and guide aircraft to the terminal.

“They’ve got a really good crew up there,” Heidema said.

He said Northwestern plans to include more Yellowknife-Fort Smith flights in a new schedule to be published in January.