SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Travellers will be able to check their e-mails, surf the web and even change their flights online as the Yellowknife Airport now offers free high speed wireless Internet.

Yellowknife Airport manager Steve Loutitt surfs the web in a wi-fi area of the airport. Travelers will be able to surf the web at the luggage carousel, Bush Pilot Cafe and at both boarding gates. - Jeanne Gagnon/NNSL photo

Available in three hot spots – in the area of the luggage carousel and Bush Pilot Cafe, the community and main boarding gates – the service was an initiative of the Aboriginal Sports Circle of the NWT, in partnership with First Air, CKLB and NorthwesTel.

The sports circle chairman Allan Landry said the organization approached the airport with the project as many of its travelling athletes have difficulty calling home for various reasons. With the free Internet service at the airport, they will have the option of using e-mail.

"So our young people can talk to back home. More communication for the young people," he said.

Yellowknife Airport Manager Steve Loutitt said the free hi-speed Internet is a service the airport was happy to obtain.

"A lot of people, whether you're on personal travel or business travel, enjoy the opportunity to have the Internet when they're here at the airport while you're waiting for your flight," he said.

The service underwent a four-month trial period before its full implementation. During the first two months, the small problems were fixed. It has been running smoothly for the last two months.

As Scott Whitmore was waiting for a return flight to Fort Simpson at the airport last week, he said he'd wish he had his laptop with him so he could surf the web.

"I'm sitting here for three hours before I take off so if I had my computer, I'd definitely be using the Internet for checking emails and work-related stuff and for pleasure," he said.

"A lot of airports have it so it's great that the Yellowknife one has it too."