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RANKIN INLET/KIVALLIQ - Great food and nice prizes were the order of the day in Rankin Inlet this month as Keewatin Air celebrated its 40th anniversary of doing business in the Kivalliq.

Keewatin Air president and chief executive officer Wayne McLeod was on hand to help celebrate the airline’s 40th anniversary in Rankin Inlet earlier this month. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

Started in 1971, the company also operates Kivalliq Air and Nunavut Lifeline medical-transportation service.

Wayne McLeod has been Keewatin Air's president and chief executive officer for the past six years.

McLeod said the airline's biggest strength is its high-level medical operation, from its two Beech 1900 aircraft to the expertise of the medical technicians on-board. He said the biggest challenge facing the airline is maintaining its high standards and level of integrity in an ever-growing industry.

"We've been dealing with pilot turnover and shortage for the past five to 10 years and that's going to continue," said McLeod.

"It's a real challenge to find pilots who want to go North when there's opportunities for them to stay in the south.

"With the expansion we're seeing in the industry, larger airlines are certainly lowering their limits as far as the flying hours pilots have to their credit are concerned.

"It used to be only the higher-timed (career total flying hours) pilots being picked up by larger airlines, but now it's average or middle-timed pilots being hired and that filters down through the whole industry."

McLeod said not all that long ago, a pilot would need 5,000 to 8,000 hours of flying time before being hired by a bigger airline.

He said that number has dropped to about 2,000 to 4,000 hours.

"That makes it more challenging for smaller airlines to attract and retain career pilots.

"But, there's always things in the works for us to grow and develop both our scheduled service and our charter division.

"Charters, probably, represent the biggest growth expectation with all the mining and exploration that's going to be happening in the North during the next few years.

"So, we'll be working hard to meet that demand and, if that leads to new scheduled services into different areas, we're certainly willing to grow and develop as things move along in Nunavut."

McLeod said the company held an early celebration for its 40th anniversary and a grand opening for its new base in Iqaluit this past April.

He said the Rankin celebration was special because that's where the company was originally started.

"We were happy with the turnout we had in Rankin and it seemed like everyone enjoyed themselves.

"Right now, we're in a bit of a holding pattern waiting to see where the cards fall for the scheduled service contract awards for medical travel.

"Our extension expires at the end of this month, so we're expecting the decision any time, and then we'll look at what else we may decide to tackle going forward.

"We had 36 per cent of the medical travel in the Kivalliq and to Winnipeg in the last contract, and, if awarded again, that number would allow us to maintain our current status in the region."

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