Corporate Information
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Company Profile
Air North, Yukon's Airline is a regionally based carrier providing service within the Yukon and between the Yukon and British Columbia, Alberta, Northwest Territories and Alaska. Like our northern counterparts, Canadian North Airlines and First Air, we have a First Nations ownership component and we provide service from our territorial region to southern gateways. We are headquartered in the Yukon and we have most of our infrastructure, mobile assets, and our employees based here as well. Scheduled services from and to the Yukon as well as within the Yukon are the mainstay of our business with cargo being an essential component of our scheduled route traffic. Charter flying makes an important contribution to our operation in that it provides valuable incremental aircraft utilization and revenue.
Air North was founded on February 1, 1977 by Joseph Sparling and Tom Wood. The company initially operated a charter service primarily in support of the mining industry. Air North commenced operations with one Cessna 206 and over the next decade operated on wheels, floats, and skis with many aircraft types including the Cessna 150, 172, 185, 206, and 337; the Dehavilland Beaver, Otter, and Caribou; the Britten Norman Islander; the Beech 18 and 80, and the Douglas DC-3 and DC-4. Scheduled services within the Yukon and between the Yukon and Alaska were started in the mid 1980's and in 1996 the company began to replace its piston powered fleet with turbo props.
In 2002 Air North acquired two Boeing 737-200 (B737) aircraft and commenced scheduled service between the Yukon and Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver. Today Air North operates two Boeing 737-200 aircraft configured either in 120Y or 108Y/4J configuration, and four Hawker Siddeley 748 (HS748) turbo props each seating up to 40 passengers.
Air North, Yukon's Airline presently flies from Whitehorse to Dawson City and Old Crow in the Yukon; to Inuvik in the Northwest Territories; to Fairbanks, Alaska (seasonally); to Vancouver, British Columbia and to Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta. The company is one of the largest private sector employers in the Yukon with over 200 full and part time employees.
Air North Board of Directors
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Joseph Sparling
President |
Greg Charlie
Vice President |
Stephen Mills
Vice President |
Murray Leitch
Vice President |
Kenny Tetlichi
Director |
Tom Wood
Director |
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Vuntut Development Corporation
The Vuntut Development Corporation (VDC) is the economic arm of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation. It is a for-profit company that owns a significant interest in Air North, a road and quarry construction company, several real estate holdings in Old Crow and Whitehorse, and an exciting eco-adventure company that provides for world class grizzly bear viewing opportunities in the northern Yukon.
VDC aims to balance economic development and the natural environment while respecting the traditional lifestyle and culture of the Vuntut Gwitchin. Its goal is to play a major role in the creation of a diversified, balanced, and sustainable economy in the North Yukon, an economy that provides prosperity and certainty for the future for all Vuntut Gwitchin. VDC also is a major sponsor of cultural, recreational, social, and environmental initiatives throughout the Yukon.
Corporate Culture
Our number one corporate priority at Air North is to maximize safety and to minimize the risk of accident or incident in every aspect of our operation. Our Safety Management System involves all company employees and the Safety Officer is accountable directly to the President and CEO.
Our second corporate priority is, quite simply, to respect the interests of our stakeholders, who are:
- Our Customers
- Our Employees
- Our Shareholders
With respect to our customers, we strive to provide friendly and helpful service, with a personal touch, at a fair price. We operate in a relatively small community and in an extremely small market. Many of us know many of our customers personally. This is our competitive edge in the market and the way in which we differentiate our product from others. It does not cost anything to be nice. While we are not technically a public company, our performance is very visible in our small community.
With respect to our employees, it is our goal to attract and keep competent and company minded employees. Our management style, starting at the top, is to be very hands on. We endeavor to lead by example. We are very proud of our strong team of employees and we are particularly pleased to note that our turnover is extremely low.
With respect to our shareholders, it is important to note that for many, the maximization of profit is not the number one priority. The VGFN investment in the company was strategic. While it was a business decision, there are other factors which are important to the citizens of Old Crow. Air service is a lifeline to the community and its residents are always very concerned with service and pricing. Employment opportunities are also a consideration for the VGFN. Our Class C shareholders did not purchase growth shares. While they want to see their company succeed they are also keenly interested in service and pricing issues. The interests represented by our shareholders require Air North to maintain a balance between profitability and community interests.
The foregoing sets forth the vision/strategy that the Board of Directors has adopted for the operation of the airline.
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