Iqaluit (May 23/05) - Thick fog and malfunctioning Nav Canada equipment delayed hundreds of airline passengers in Iqaluit at the beginning of the May long weekend.

Twenty-four flights were cancelled between Wednesday and Friday afternoon, said Leonerd Weiss, acting director of the airport.

"We cannot legally land in Iqaluit," said Gary Reid from Canadian North on Friday.

With full flights scheduled for the long weekend, more than 200 passengers were delayed by the foggy conditions, Reid said. Some stranded passengers were put up in hotels.

The gadget used to guide planes through foul weather, known as an Instrument Landing System (ILS), conked out just as the fog rolled in Wednesday.

Iqaluit Airport's ILS shorted out because water accumulated in it's power supply, said Nav Canada spokesperson Ron Singer.

Nav Canada chartered a plane to fly in technicians and equipment from Ottawa and Montreal to repair the system. They were expected to arrive Sunday - weather permitting.

Nav Canada hoped to have the ILS repaired, tested, and fully operational by Sunday night.

Friday's thick fog would have prevented flights from landing even if the ILS was functioning, said Singer.

By Saturday the skies had cleared and flights had resumed, though the ILS still hadn't been fixed.

"As long as the weather stays like this, we're A-OK," said airport manager John Graham.