IKPIARJUK/ARCTIC BAY - The last scheduled flight into Nanisivik and the first into Arctic Bay took place the week of Jan. 14, meaning a shorter commute to the airport for Arctic Bay residents and hopefully fewer flight cancellations due to weather.

The last scheduled commercial flight to land at Nanisivik on Jan. 12 continued on to Resolute. The same crew returned the next day, this time landing at the Arctic Bay airport on the return flight to Iqaluit. From left, Billy Roach, chief pilot of First Air, and Capt. Landon Sexsmith were given certificates commemorating the occasion by Arctic Bay mayor Niore Iqalukjuak at both locations. - photo courtesy of Niore Iqalukjuak

"We're hoping it will mean more flights in and out of Arctic Bay," said mayor Niore Iqalukjuak.

First Air landed its last scheduled flight to the Nanisivik Airport on Jan. 12, en route to Resolute from Iqaluit.

The following day the same aircraft and crew heading back to Iqaluit from Resolute landed at the new Arctic Bay airport.

Iqalukjuak was at both airports to greet the flight crew and present them with certificates to mark the occasions.

"It was great and very successful and we had a full load going out to Resolute," said Liz Camsell, manager of commercial operations, Eastern Region with First Air.

The Nanisivik airport is approximately 25 kilometres away from Arctic Bay, near the Nanisivik mine, which closed in 2002.

Iqalukjuak said this will help residents save some cash.

"For those that can afford them they can take a taxi or hitch a ride with someone else; it was $40 one way," he said.

The road between Arctic Bay and Nansivik will not be maintained after the end of January, said Shawn Maley, director of Nunavut airports, Department of Economic Development and Transportation.

"From the government and community's perspective, there's nothing left in Nanisivik for that road to be open," he said, adding it costs about $600,000 a year to keep the road open with a majority of the money being spent on snow removal.

The federal government is going to be building a navy fuel depot and facilities at the site. Maley said if the feds are willing to fund the maintenance of the road, the GN would be willing to entertain discussions with them.

The new airport is not only closer to town, but it is much closer to sea level at 649 metres.

"There's weather issues there (at Nanisivik) we will not get down below where the new airport is," Maley said. Construction began on the new airport in 2008 and was finished this past summer at a cost of $22 million. The terminal is 210 square metres. Maley said it is the first new airport to be built in at least 30 years.

The 1,200-metre runway is shorter than the one at Nanisivik, meaning Arctic Bay's new airport will not be able to accommodate jet aircraft but is good for ATR 42s and ATR72s which First Air uses.

The airport also has new runway and landing lights, and radio and weather observation equipment. Unlike Nanisivik, it does not have cargo storage. Maley said this is the responsibility of the airline or freight company.

First Air has six employees working out of the location. First Air's vice-president of marketing and sales Chris Ferris said the change-over went smoothly.

"We need a licensed airport to be able to operate," he said. "When they say they're closing one airport and opening another, it's not like Chicago where we have the choice of O'Hare or Midway. We go where the airport is open."

As to how the opening of the airport might play into the GN's High Arctic Transportation Cost Study, Maley said:

"I think Arctic Bay is always going to be an important location. It will be advantageous for them and they will see a big difference in terms of missed flights in that area (due to weather)," he said.

An official opening of the Arctic Bay airport is scheduled for Feb. 7 and Premier Eva Aariak and Minister of Economic Development and Transportation Peter Taptuna are expected to attend.

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