Special Cargo

Over our years of operating in the North, we’ve become experts at handling chilled and frozen products—but it all starts with proper packaging. Perishable items will spoil if they are not handled with care right from the start, including goods such as:

• Produce
• Seafood
• Floral products
• Fruits
• Medical supplies
• Water samples

As perishable items must be shipped in a time-sensitive manner due to their susceptibility to temperatures, they must be shipped as Priority items due to the handling requirements.

Packaging Regulations

We’ve crafted these requirements to help ensure that your shipment arrives exactly as you intend. Although we take care to make sure that packages are adequately protected against leakage, spillage and contamination from other cargo, perishable goods must be packed to withstand:

• 48 hours of domestic transit time (if connecting to another carrier to ship beyond our network within Canada)
• 8 to 12 physical handlings
• Pressure of up to 60 lbs. per square foot
• Sliding on any surface
• A 12-inch drop to any surface
• 30 seconds in the rain

Styrofoam outer packaging is not acceptable.

Fresh Seafood

Shipments of fresh seafood must follow the packaging guidelines for perishables outlined above, as well as:

• Placed inside a polyethylene bag at least 4 millimeters thick (or (2) two-millimeter thick bags) and pressure sealed, knotted or professionally folded to prevent leakage within the outer counter
• Packed in a multi-walled, wax impregnated fiberboard outer container with leak-proof corners or leak-proof plastic or fiberglass containers. Each package must not exceed the manufacturer's maximum capacity.
• Absorbent materials must be placed between the polyethylene bag and the outer or inner container.
• Outer container or box must be banded or taped with a minimum of 2 bands around the width of the box.

Live Seafood

Shipments of live seafood must follow the general and fresh seafood packaging guidelines for perishables, as well as:

• If using self-oxygenating containers, the shipper must provide, on company letterhead, a statement that leakage will not occur.
• Shipping containers must be marked "LIVE ANIMALS" or "LIVE SEAFOOD" and "DO NOT TIP, DO NOT TURN OVER".

Shipping Perishable Goods

Drop-off and pick-up times vary for each station based on their hours of operation. Please be sure to contact the appropriate cargo office in advance.

Some of our cargo offices have refrigeration available to store perishables during the shipping process. However, space is offered as available and cannot be guaranteed for any specific perishable shipment. We strongly recommend ensuring your shipment will arrive at its final destination (including transfers with another carrier) during the destination office’s business hours.

Please note: perishable goods are not presently accepted for shipment to Victoria.

Export Permits

• If you intend to ship wildlife products out of the Yukon, please refer to the Government of Yukon’s website for details as a permit may be required. Complete details on when a permit is required and how to apply for one may be found here.
• If the animal was obtained in British Columbia and brought to the Yukon for shipping back to British Columbia, only a copy of the Hunter's License and Permit is required for shipping.
• If shipping internationally, an additional permit is required for animals classified as an endangered species. These include grizzly bears, black bears, polar bears, otters, lynx and wolves. Details about CITES permits may be found on the Government of Yukon’s website.

Shipping Antlers, Horns, Skulls or Hide Out Of the Yukon

To ensure that your shipment is compliant, please be aware of the following requirements:

• You will need to acquire all permits needed to ship wildlife product out of the Yukon (please refer to the prior section on Export Permits.

• Antlers, horns, skulls or hide must be shipped as cargo

• Normal rates will be charged (dimensional weight charges may apply)

• Shipments must include consignee's name, complete address, contact phone numbers, and most importantly, a Yukon Export Permit

• These items must be completely free of raw meat, blood or noticeable odour and must be padded to prevent punctures to the container and/or other baggage

• These items must be packed in a leak-proof, hard shell container

• Standard cargo fees will be charged.
• Shipments must include consignee's name, complete address, contact phone numbers, and a wildlife export permit.

Shipping Animal and Fish Products

• All shipments must be clean of blood and packaged to prevent spillage.
• Outer cartons should be wax-treated and the inner carton must be leak proof.
• Each container should be of a size and weight that is appropriate for handling.
• Boxes must be able to withstand two or more similar containers being stacked on top.
• "THIS SIDE UP" and "PERISHABLE" must be marked on at least two sides of the box. The consignee's complete name, address, and contact information must also be marked on the box.

Bear Spray and Bear Bangers

The carriage of bear spray and bear bangers is forbidden on Air North, Yukon’s Airline flights with the sole exception of those travelling to Old Crow, Yukon from Whitehorse, Dawson City, Mayo, or Inuvik.

Firearms

Firearms must be unloaded, with the bolt removed, and stored in a locked case. All firearms are subject to inspection upon request by the members of Royal Canadian Mounted Police or employees of Air North, Yukon’s Airline. The carriage of ammunition is restricted and subject to rules specified under Transport Canada’s Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations.

We welcome many types of live animals for transportation on-board our aircraft and our cargo agents are trained to handle them with care and respect. For more information on transporting your live animals please visit our Pets and Jets page. If your animal has undergone any surgery or medical procedures, they will require a note from their veterinarian explaining what procedure was done and that the animal is fit to travel.

Please note: a base-specific fee applies to live animal shipments departing Calgary. The fee may be found in the Base-Specific Fees table on the Cargo Products page.

What are dangerous goods?

Dangerous Goods are articles or substances that are capable of posing a significant risk to health, safety, or property when transported by air. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Transport Canada group dangerous goods into nine classes:

* Air North does not accept shipments of infectious substances or radioactive materials.

Shippers Responsibilities:

A shipper must comply fully with the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations and Transport Canada’s Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations when offering a consignment of dangerous goods. In addition, shippers must comply with any applicable regulations set forth by the country of origin, transit, and destinations. Before any package of dangerous goods is offered for transportation by air, the shipper must comply with the following specific responsibilities:

• International regulations must be followed to ensure safety of passengers and crew.
• The shipper must ensure that the articles or substance is not prohibited for transportation by air.
• The articles or substance must be properly identified, classified, packed, marked, labeled, documented and in the condition for transport in accordance with IATA regulations.
• Before a consignment of dangerous goods can be offered for transport, all relevant persons involved in its preparation must have received training to enable them to carry out their responsibilities.

It is the responsibility of the shipper to determine if dangerous goods are in their cargo and if so to declare them to the carrier by way of properly completed IATA Shipper's Declaration. Not declaring dangerous goods is a serious offence under federal law and is the shipper's responsibility.

Dangerous Goods into Limited Access Communities

Old Crow is considered a limited access community as it is only accessible by air. As a result, it’s possible to ship and receive certain types of dangerous goods that are exempt from some of the regulations listed above—allowing an affordable way of shipping goods into the community that otherwise might not be possible.

The list of dangerous goods that falls into the limited access category can be found here.

Our cargo agents will coordinate careful and professional shipping arrangements for those who need to transport departed loved ones to their final resting place. Arrangements can also be made to ensure that a passenger may travel on the same flight as part of our Compassionate Travel program.

Please contact your funeral director or mortuary for more information about this service. Our cargo team are also ready to assist at 1.800.661.0407 ext. 650 (toll-free in North America) or (867) 668.2228 ext. 650.