Thorunn Howatt
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 14/02) - Canadian North stepped toward the discount airline game yesterday.

The Yellowknife-based airline introduced a new fare structure based on one-way flights, no change fees and lower ticket prices.

If it sounds familiar it's because a lot of the package resembles the marketing strategy of the very successful Westjet airline.

People can travel from Yellowknife to Edmonton and back now for $490 plus taxes and service charges. The company is calling it a deep discount fare.

The move is part of a Canadian North marketing strategy. Since the company's break from Air Canada and Canadian Airlines less than two years ago, it has re-evaluated itself. It bought new aircraft and hired its own staff. Now it wants to slash fares.

"It's not a temporary initiative...It's in response to what our market has been telling us for several years," said Canadian North's Kelly Kaylo.

The Inuvialuit of the western Arctic and the Inuit of the eastern Arctic each own a piece of the airline through development corporations.