HAY RIVER - Northwestern Air will fill the void Canadian North will leave in Hay River when the airline discontinues service on Oct. 25.

Gordon Bush, general manager of Northwestern Air, stands by one of the airline's planes. The company plans to take over service to Hay River on Oct. 26. It will also offer jobs – three are available – to the five Canadian North employees who were laid off last week. - photo courtesy of Gordon Bush

The Fort Smith-based airline will start a direct morning flight between Hay River and Edmonton five days a week starting Oct. 26, the day after Canadian North’s last flight out of Hay River.

It's good news for the employees of Canadian North who lost their jobs following the announcement.

Northwestern will fill three positions in Hay River giving priority to the five recently laid-off Canadian North employees.

“Northwestern is prepared to step in to the breach and to provide the service,” said Gordon Bush, the airline’s general manager.

“We’re going to try to cover as many days as we can,” he said, during a presentation to the Hay River town council on Sept. 28.

Northwestern Air employs 60 people and has 13 aircraft, including six jet streams – planes with jet engines that drive a propeller, which will fly the Hay River route. The company currently flies out of Fort Smith, Calgary and Edmonton.

Brian Harrold, who owns the airline with his father Terry, said he began considering the new route as soon as he heard of Canadian North’s departure.

“We’d like to make a fairly seamless transition,” he said, adding his company already uses Canadian North’s check-in services in the Edmonton airport and will continue to do so.

The flight would take off from Fort Smith at 7:45 a.m., stop in Hay River to pick up passengers and continue to Edmonton at 9 a.m. The plane would depart to return to Hay River at 12:30 p.m., arriving at 2:45 p.m. and Fort Smith at 4 p.m.

Harrold said the company is open to suggestions but the tentative plan is to fly every day but Wednesday and Saturday.

“We will be taking people’s comments and information into account. If our times would be better to leave a little earlier to get people down there a little earlier, that can be done,” said Harrold.

Bush said the airline will offer discount fares on flights between Oct. 26 and Nov. 30. Fares will cost $95, including tax, between Fort Smith and Hay River. The Hay River to Edmonton route will cost $260 before tax, which amounts to $368 going south and $384 flying north. They planned to start taking reservations last week.

Harrold said there will be room for 15 people on the flight south, and 14 people on the flight back to Hay River.

“We feel losing that passenger’s seat is more than made up for by not bumping people’s bags,” said Harrold, who said the seat reduction would accommodate the shopping people typically do in Edmonton.