Sarah Holland
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Oct 21/02) - Skies over Nunavut and the NWT should be safer and better managed once NAV CANADA finishes $50 million worth of high-tech improvements in a nationwide Northern radar coverage enhancement program.

The first project in Yellowknife was the installation of a $5.7 million radar system in June 2001 as part of a Northern Radar Program.

The radar became operational in February, 2002.

The facility is designed to provide increased safety, improve routing and reduce delays for aircraft flying in areas where there is no radar coverage.

The company is currently proceeding with construction of another new radar site in Iqaluit, scheduled to be operational by summer 2002.

Radar sites are being considered for Coral Harbour and Arviat.

Flight information centres (FICs) are another area of change.

The company recently initiated a $27-million project to improve service and safety through higher quality and faster weather and other information at airports across the country.

Yellowknife's FIC, the only one scheduled for the NWT or Nunavut so far, is expected to be operational by 2003.

New fees in effect

In September 1999 NAV CANADA's service charges, paid by consumers through airline tickets, were reduced by 11 per cent.

Due to the company's "potential revenue shortfall" of $145-million this past fiscal year, ended Aug. 31, 2001, the fees increased by six per cent, effective Jan. 1, 2002.

In the 2001 annual report, the company says air carriers suffered a significant reduction in the number of air passengers since the September terrorist attacks and the industry's financial stability is shaky.

In Yellowknife the number of take-offs and landings plummeted last year. But it wasn't all because of Sept. 11. There were about 51,000 take-offs and landings, down from 61,000 the year before.

NAV CANADA attributes 3,000 flights or about a 30 per cent of the drop in traffic to the terrorist crisis. Nationally, air traffic has dropped 16 per cent because of Sept. 11.

The drop in Yellowknife air traffic, of about 7,000 movements not attributable to Sept. 11 is likely because of a drop in charter and corporate traffic said a NAV CANADA spokesperson, adding the 2000 figures of 61,000 air traffic movements were unrealistically high and were simply a blip on the radar screen.

NAV CANADA also reported traffic is expected to decrease in fiscal 2001/2002.

NAV CANADA's 2000-2001 revenue was $916 million.