SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Air Canada launched the next generation Dash 8 at Yellowknife Airport last week.
The Q400 twin engine turboprop aircraft was introduced as the national airliner aims to boost capacity on key regional routes.
The 74-seat Q400 replaces the 50-seat CRJ-100/200 regional jet airliner operated by Air Canada Express brand's Jazz Aviation LP on the Calgary-Yellowknife and Edmonton-Yellowknife routes.
With the introduction of the aircraft, daily service on the routes could grow by up to 48 per cent during the summer peak, according to general manager Eric Bordeleau, which is welcome news to NWT Tourism.
"We think it's fantastic news. We're very happy that Air Canada has done this," said NWT Tourism chairperson Jenni Bruce, anticipating that visitation numbers to the city will also increase with the increased flight capacity.
"I hear quite often of people trying to book who can't get a seat. Even last year trying to book flights, you couldn't get a seat," Bruce said. "So those are people we're not getting up here that normally would come so now when they can get a seat I think they'll fill it."
Increased visitation has been seen especially in the city's aurora tourism market, Bruce said. While figures for this season have not yet been compiled, operators are reporting one of the top aurora viewing seasons in a decade.
Air Canada estimates daily seat capacity on the Calgary-Yellowknife route to increase 24 per cent to 124 from 100 in 2012, and 48 per cent to 74 from 50 on the Edmonton-Yellowknife route, with capacity increases of up to 100 per cent on some of its Western Canada routes where the Q400 has also been launched this year.
Air Canada launched flights to Yellowknife from Edmonton and Calgary in 2006.
The airline reviews the number of flights and times across its routes worldwide on a regular basis to enable business people to travel to and from destinations easily, spokesperson Angela Mah told Yellowknifer in an e-mail, explaining how the regional routes where the larger aircraft would be launched were chosen.
"Due to current strong travel demand on key markets in Western Canada, including to and from Yellowknife, a commercial decision was made to deploy our newest regional aircraft with more seats here in order to meet that demand," Mah stated.
The Dash 8 Q400 is made in Canada by Bombardier.
