Big winner in polar routes are passengers: Crichton
Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Apr 11/01) - With the Russian airspace opening up there will be a boom in flights over the North Pole and benefits to the North.
"With more traffic it enables us to bring more modern infrastructure to the North," says NavCanada CEO John Crichton.
NavCanada, which operates Canada's air transportation systems, is currently completing a new hi-tech radar site in Yellowknife.
The $6-million system will enhance service to planes flying over the North Pole and is to be operational this summer. The system, known as the Independent Secondary Surveillance Radar, will mean more effective coverage for flights arriving and departing Yellowknife airport.
NavCanada says the new radar will reduce flying times in the Yellowknife area and mean savings in airline operating costs as well as improve safety. Crichton added the increase in traffic over the North Pole won't mean a big net revenue increase for Nav Canada because aircraft flying north will only spend a slightly longer time in Canadian airspace.
The "big winner in polar routes are passengers," he said.
And flying over the Arctic not only cuts travel times to Asia and the Far East, it also lowers fuel costs for jet owners.
Nav Canada will spend $70 million this year on infrastructure in the North. Nationally, Nav Canada has invested $500 million since 1996 on the nation's air navigation systems.
As a result of a Northern service review, Nav Canada added two new flight information centres and increased the number of community aerodrome radio stations in the North to 48 from 40, he adds.
