Buffalo Airways return to skies ongoing
Hay River base manager says Hay River-Yk service will probably resume in summer
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Monday, March 14, 2016
HAY RIVER
It could be months before Buffalo Airways' passenger flights resume between Hay River and Yellowknife, according to Kathy McBryan, the company's base manager in Hay River.
"We're working daily toward it," she said. "We just have a few things we want to iron out. So we have no set date but it's definitely in the plans for the future to resume."
McBryan said the company is probably looking at months before the return of the service, also known as the sched and famous for its use of DC-3s.
"Probably the summer," she said.
On Nov. 30, Transport Canada suspended Buffalo Airways' air operator certificate because of the company's "poor" aviation safety record and insufficient record-keeping. The suspension was lifted on Jan. 12. To maintain service during the suspension, Buffalo Airways chartered aircraft for cargo and passenger service.
However, the company ended chartered passenger flights to Hay River on Dec. 24.
"That was probably one of the more emotional decisions we had to make, stopping that sched," McBryan said.
She explained the company is working on restructuring to make sure everything is in order.
"We just wanted to take a moment and work on other parts making sure that all our t's are crossed and i's dotted before we get into the next stage," she said.
In addition, she said the sched involves cabin safety, and that means more rules and regulations.
The overall restructuring of the company deals largely with paperwork and training, and following proper rules, regulations and procedures.
"It was time," said McBryan.
"We had years and years of gradually doing paperwork incorrectly until it just cannonballed and snowballed into something that we had to just stop, and bring it back down to the basics and build it back up again."
However, she stressed the company's problems with paperwork did not compromise safety.
"We were never unsafe as a company or as pilots or as aircraft," she said. "We developed inadequate paperwork procedures."
McBryan said people in Hay River want to know when the passenger service to Yellowknife is coming back. One of those concerned people is Hay River Mayor Brad Mapes.
"Definitely Buffalo Airways plays a huge part in our community," said Mapes.
"The more that we can have transportation options to get to our community, it's going to bring more people to our community. So we definitely want to see it happen ASAP."
McBryan said the Hay River-Yellowknife service will be different once it returns. She described what's coming down the pipe, including check-in times and a reduction to the amount of passengers allowed on individual flights.
"Buffalo is so known for being so casual with their passenger travel. All that's going to change," she said. "We have no choice. We have to conform."
She could not say whether the iconic DC-3s would still be used on the service, explaining, "Once again, those are decisions that are still not set in stone."
However, one thing will remain the same - her father, Joe McBryan, will still fly the sched.
"It will take a lot more than that to take Joe out of the sky," said Kathy McBryan.
Since the sched officially began in August 1986, it has flown a total of 186,148 paying passengers.
