Yellowknife (Feb 09/05) - Canadian North has made several changes to its in flight service to make aurora tourists feel more comfortable.

The carrier has five new Japanese flight attendants helping tourists coming to Yellowknife from the land of the rising sun.

Three of the Japanese attendants are not employees.

"They're in Canada on a student visa," said Todd Chahley, manager of in flight services for Canadian North.

The company provides them with training so they can qualify as flight attendants, said Shelley Sackney Canadian North director of in flight services and human resources, adding it's a win-win situation.

"They get the opportunity to come out and get to do all the functions a normal flight attendant would do," she said.

"At the same time, they're able to offer Japanese translation service to our customers."

Of the six months the Japanese students are in the country, they spend 4.5 months on Canadian North flights, said Sackney.

"We put them on key flights where there is the obvious concentration of Japanese tourists," she said.

The flight attendants are pre-screened to make sure they have the required English skills. "

An online training program covers 80 per cent of Transport Canada regulations and then when they come to Calgary they go to English as a second language training through the YMCA to brush up," she said. "Then they come to ground school to take practical hands-on training on emergency drills."

The airline is working in conjunction with a school in Quebec called Bonjour Montreal that has several offices in Japan - including one focusing part of its efforts on flight attendants, said Chahley.

While Canadian North is already receiving positive comments from its Japanese passengers, he added the new flight attendants all seem to love the work as well.

"They're not eager to go back to Japan when their term is up," he said.

The carrier has also responded to the needs created by the aurora tour business in Yellowknife by providing appropriate menu items for Japanese tourists.

The airline is offering hot oriental chicken and sushi during peak traffic times for the Japanese visitors, said Chahley.