Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jun 28/00) - With polar routes opening up, the number of jets flying overhead may go sky high, but it won't likely bring any benefit to the NWT.

"Our services are on a break-even system. We'll charge enough to operate the system," said Sharron Ellis, NavCanada media relations manager.

"There is no drain on our resources. They get charged an over-flight fee for travelling in Canadian airspace."

And NavCanada does not charge based on which part of Canadian airspace a jet flies through. The only possible benefit to the North might be on the employment side, she said.

"It may mean more jobs," Ellis said.

What will generate more jet traffic across the North is the opening up of Russian airspace. That means polar routes from places like Los Angeles and New York to Karachi and Tokyo will be shorter and cheaper for airlines.

NavCanada is a private firm operating the country's air navigation system. Legislation mandates that the company cannot make a profit. If the company is in the black, it must return the money to system users or invest it in infrastructure upgrades.

Ellis says since NavCanada took over running Canadian airspace from the federal government, fees have dropped by $255 million. As well, air traffic volumes are up six per cent in the most recent fiscal year compared to the prior year.