Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services

Cambridge Bay (Feb 11/02) - Residents in Cambridge Bay are warning First Air to improve its service or risk losing the community's business.

"We've been disappointed with the level of service," said Mayor Keith Peterson.

Peterson said between September and October, the hamlet conducted an airline survey with the community and the results did not bode well for First Air.

"A lot of people were unhappy with First Air," said Peterson.

The community is still smarting over First Air's decision to cut its three-flight weekly schedule and replacing it with a two-flight schedule on Jan. 14.

The company dropped the service to cut costs but added two new flights to Inuvik in the same period.

Jim Ballingall, vice-president of marketing and sales for the airline, said a flat Japanese market after the Sept. 11 terrorists attack on New York City and Washington, D.C., influenced the decision, according to minutes of a Jan. 31 meeting between residents and the company.

Currently the company flies its jets in on Tuesday and Thursday and Canadian North flies in on Tuesday and Saturday.

Around 100 people in the community attended the public meeting and voiced concerns over the way First Air cut its flights without community consultations, said Terry McCallum, deputy mayor.

"They changed it suddenly," said McCallum, adding that long delays and freight charges also surfaced on the agenda.

Peterson said that the Kitikmeot region helped First Air become a dominant Northern airline in the late 1980s but the company's recent cuts and standard of service could hurt its business with residents.

According to minutes of the public meeting, First Air said it would consider reinstating the three-day-a-week schedule in April.

First Air officials could not be reached for further comment before press time.