Air North, Yukon’s Airline Named Best Airline in Canada by Tripadvisor
WHITEHORSE, YT - 28 July 2020
Tripadvisor has named Air North, Yukon’s Airline the Travellers’ Choice Best Airline in Canada 2020, as well as the Travellers’ Choice Specialty Airline in North America 2020.
- Air North is the first Indigenous-owned northern airline to win this award, making it a major accomplishment for their staff and the local community. Air North is 100% locally owned, including a 49% Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation ownership, and 1 in 15 Yukoners hold an equity or employment stake in the airline.
- Air North believes air travel should be both memorable and enjoyable. Passengers especially appreciate the generous luggage allowance of two complimentary checked bags, as well as locally sourced and freshly-made light snacks and meals served on-board.
- The airline’s COVID-19 response has kept the care of their passengers, staff and community at the forefront of all of their decisions. Their Air North Care First program includes not selling middle seats (other than to members of the same social bubble) in order to facilitate physical distancing, hospital grade sanitization practices and a flexible booking policy. More information can be found here
Joseph Sparling, Air North’s President and CEO says, “We are honoured to receive these awards, proud of our great team for earning them, and thankful to our loyal Yukoners and travellers from around the world for recognizing our product and taking their time to provide a review to Tripadvisor. I am especially pleased to see these awards go to a northern air carrier as it provides a great illustration of the role they play in the North, not only providing essential air services, but also strengthening the northern economy through Indigenous and non-Indigenous employment and investment.”
“Winners of the 2020 Travellers’ Choice Awards should be proud of this distinguished recognition,” said Kanika Soni, Chief Commercial Officer at Tripadvisor. “Although it’s been a challenging year for travel and hospitality, we want to celebrate our partners' achievements. Award winners are beloved for their exceptional service and quality. Not only are these winners well deserving, they are also a great source of inspiration for travellers as the world begins to venture out again.”
Media Inquiries - Debra Ryan, Manager of Strategic Planning & Alliances Air North, Yukon’s Airline - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., (867) 335-1220
About Air North, Yukon’s Airline
Founded in 1977, Air North, Yukon's Airline has proudly provided safe and affordable air services to Yukoners for over 42 years. We are 100% northern owned with more than 2,000 Yukon shareholders including the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation who hold a 49% interest. From our Whitehorse base, we fly to 13 Canadian destinations including Dawson City, Old Crow, Inuvik, Mayo, Watson Lake, Vancouver, Kelowna, Victoria, Edmonton, Calgary, Yellowknife, and Ottawa. Our fleet is comprised of five Boeing 737 jets, and three ATR-42 turboprops. Our focus has always been on our northern communities. By delivering a great product at a fair price we have made it possible for more people in our region to travel by air and for people in our region to travel with more options. Our baggage allowance is more generous than most and, in the pre-pandemic environment, we also provided complimentary meal service. In the current pandemic environment, we have a generous refund policy and we are not currently selling the middle seat except to families or others in the same social bubble. For more information, including flight schedules and fares visit flyairnorth.com or call your travel agent. Air North, Yukon’s Airline
- Air North is headquartered in Whitehorse, Yukon and was founded in 1977 by Joseph “Joe” Sparling and Tom “Ace” Wood.
- The company is 49% owned by the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation of Old Crow, Yukon—the Yukon’s northernmost community—plus over 2,000 Class C & D Yukon-based shareholders.
- The company commenced jet service in 2002 from Whitehorse to Vancouver, British Columbia, and Whitehorse to Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta.
- In 2019, the airline was recognized with the Traveller’s Choice Award for Best Airline (Specialty and Leisure) in North America from Tripadvisor.
- Fleet includes: https://www.flyairnorth.com/about-air-north/our-fleet
- Where do we fly? https://www.flyairnorth.com/about-air-north-yukons-airline/route-map Yukon Territory
- Yukon has a total area of 482,443 square kilometres. The Yukon Bureau of Statistics reports that the Yukon’s population is 41,408 as of September 2019.
- About 75% of Yukon’s inhabitants live in the capital of Whitehorse and its surrounding areas with a population estimated at 32,395. Whitehorse is known as “Wilderness City,” as it is surrounded by gentle yet striking peaks and valleys.
