NUNAVUT - A revised beneficiary agreement between the Qikiqtani Inuit Association and Qikiqtani First Aviation has resulted in significant shipping benefits system-wide.

Qikiqtani First Aviation will be shipping country foods across the North at a flat rate due to a new agreement signed between it and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association. Qikiqtani First Aviation is a joint venture between First Air and the Qikiqtaaluk Corp. Pictured above are two ATR 72 aircraft owned by First Air, part of the fleet Qikiqtani First Aviation has at its disposal. - photo courtesy of First Air

In addition to increased airline travel benefits for the Inuit of the region, the new agreement, announced last week, has prompted the airline to extend a flat rate for shipping country foods across the North, to everyone.

The rate for shipping country foods with the airline – which previously varied based on distance from $2 per kilogram to as high as $9 per kilogram – is now set at $1.50 per kilogram system-wide.

The flat rate was introduced across the board at the request of the Inuit association, First Air vice-president of marketing and sales Chris Ferris said, to eliminate restriction of country food shipping to and from beneficiaries.

"There is a lot of inter-community shipping of country food," QIA spokesperson David Joanasie said, listing high-in-demand animals including caribou, geese, polar bear, arctic char, and seal. "This change is speaking to the high cost of shipping."

Under the new agreement, beneficiaries – which includes anyone with a beneficiary card or status under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement – qualify for 60 per cent off travelling fares. Elders, or anyone 55 years and older, qualify for a 65 per cent discounted fare.

"This improved beneficiary agreement demonstrate(s) our ongoing commitment to providing tangible benefits for beneficiaries," president of First Air Scott Bateman said in a released statement.

Beneficiaries can reserve their discounted tickets through First Air using booking code "QIB11" and "QIE11" for elders.

The saving is about the equivalent of a seat sale price but without the limits of when they can buy and travel, Ferris said.

Travellers must provide proof of their beneficiary status but QIA officers can vouch for persons without a beneficiary card by signing a letter, Joanasie said.

Similar beneficiary agreements are being negotiated with other airlines, Joanasie added, including an upcoming agreement with Canadian North Airlines.

"We know that air travel was a big concern for the Inuit public," Joanasie said. "This is a concrete way to show that we're serving Inuit beneficiaries."

Qikiqtani First Aviation Ltd. is a joint venture airline between Qikiqtaaluk Corporation and First Air. The airline provides services throughout the Baffin Region using First Air fleet.

First Air's website states the airline provides scheduled service between 30 Northern communities, with connections to Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, and Edmonton.

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