SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Buffalo Airways flights were cancelled Tuesday after the airline's air operator certificate was suspended Monday by Transport Canada.

The airline issued a press release late yesterday stating it is working to "resolve discrepancies with Transport Canada authorities regarding our current operation in relation to Buffalo Airways Approved Company Operations Manual."

The suspension prohibits the company from providing commercial flights, according to a news release from Transport Canada issued Tuesday after Yellowknifer sought to confirm the news.

Transport Canada took the action in the interest of public safety because of the company's "poor safety record," the release states.

"The department will not allow Buffalo Airways to resume its commercial air service until it proves it can keep its operations consistently compliant with aviation safety regulations," it states.

Yellowknifer left a phone message and an e-mail with Buffalo's communications director just before press time but did not hear back. Buffalo's news release does not elaborate on the "discrepancies" referred to and it was not immediately clear what the manual involves.

The company expects the suspension will be "short."

The Buffalo release stated that in the last few weeks it has "taken great strides to improve the company policies to work within the existing approved manual to ensure that Buffalo Airways will remain in safe operation."

The company states it has hired an "independent gatekeeper" to oversee operations while the suspension is in effect. It was not clear what that entails.

The last flight was the regularly scheduled Monday evening trip from the city to Hay River, according to tracking website Flight Aware. There were no flights recorded Tuesday.

Transport Canada was investigating a crash landing at the Deline airport involving the airline Sept. 25.

John Tavernini with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said in early November the board was awaiting the results of that investigation.

News/North reported in November that an oil leak may have forced the plane's pilots to divert to Deline while en route to Norman Wells from Yellowknife. The crew of four were unharmed.

The airline was criticized in April this year in a crash investigation report by the board for its adversarial approach to Transport Canada inspectors.

The report on the Aug. 19, 2013 crash landing of a plane shortly after take off from Yellowknife states the operator made repeated "diatribes" against Transport Canada.

"The company refuted the regulatory basis of findings, questioned the competence of (Transport Canada) inspectors, and initially did not take responsibility for the issues identified," the report states.

The airline was featured in the popular History Channel reality TV show Ice Pilots NWT.

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