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Canadian North

Canada · EMPRESS

Airlines
5TActive

Canadian North

Canada · EMPRESS
65
Routes
6
Hubs
MPE
ICAO
5T
IATA
TravelerPulse profile

Connecting Northern and Arctic communities across Canada.

Founded
1989
Headquarters
Ottawa, Canada
Canadian North is a Canadian regional airline specializing in scheduled passenger and cargo services to remote, northern, and Arctic communities. The airline serves numerous communities across Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and northern Alberta that are otherwise difficult to access, playing a vital role in linking isolated populations to larger urban centers. The airline was formed through the merger of Canadian North and First Air, two long-established northern carriers, which officially completed their operational integration in 2021. This consolidation created a stronger, unified northern airline better equipped to serve the unique logistical and transportation challenges of Canada's Arctic and subarctic regions. Beyond passenger service, Canadian North operates significant cargo and charter operations, supporting resource industries, government operations, and Indigenous communities throughout the North. The airline is majority-owned by a consortium of Inuit organizations, reflecting its deep ties to the communities it serves.
Hubs & network
Canadian North operates primarily through hubs at Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport, Calgary International Airport, and Yellowknife Airport, with extensive service points throughout Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
Fleet
Canadian North operates a fleet primarily consisting of Boeing 737 series aircraft, along with ATR 42 and ATR 72 turboprop aircraft for service to shorter runways in remote communities.
Notable facts
  • ›Formed from the merger of Canadian North and First Air, completing full operational integration in 2021.
  • ›Majority owned by Inuit organizations, including Makivik Corporation and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami-affiliated groups.
  • ›Serves some of the most remote and isolated communities in the Canadian Arctic, including many with gravel runways.
  • ›Operates critical cargo lifts supporting communities that have no road access.
  • ›Uses the ICAO callsign EMPRESS, inherited partly from its predecessor operations.
This profile is provided for general information only. Contact details may be inaccurate or outdated — always verify with the airline's official website before acting on them.
Connecting Canada's remote northern communities with reliable air service

Canadian North is a Canadian regional airline specializing in scheduled passenger and cargo services to remote and northern communities across the Canadian Arctic and sub-Arctic. Formed through the merger of First Air and Canadian North in 2019, the airline operates as a vital lifeline for communities with limited surface transportation options. With its roots in northern aviation heritage, Canadian North serves Indigenous and northern communities with a deep commitment to the regions it operates in.

Primary Hubs
Cabin Classes
EconomyBusiness
Fleet Note

Canadian North operates a fleet primarily composed of Boeing 737 aircraft, including 737-200, 737-300, and 737-400 variants suited to northern gravel and short-strip runways.

AI-assisted overview, verified against public sources.

Route network map (65 legs)

Leaflet © OpenStreetMap © CARTO

Route network

YBK → YXNATR
YCB → YCODH8 73M
YEK → YXNATR AT4
YEK → YYQATR AT4
YFB → YTEBE1 DH8
YFB → YXPDH8
YGT → YFBDH8
YGT → YIODH8
YHK → YZFDH8
YIO → YCYDH8
YIO → YGTDH8
YOW → YFB73M
YRT → YBKAT4
YRT → YCSATR AT4
YRT → YEKATR
YRT → YFB73M
YRT → YYQATR FRJ AT4
YUX → YGTBE1 DH8
YVM → YXPDH8
YVQ → YZF73M 733
YXN → YRTATR AT4
YXP → YFBDH8
YXP → YVMDH8
YYQ → YTHAT4
YZS → YRTATR
YZS → YUTAT4
YBK → YCSATR
YCB → YYHDH8
YCB → YZFDH8 73M
YCO → YCBDH8 73M
YCO → YZFDH8 73M
YCS → YBKAT4
YCS → YRTATR AT4
YCY → YFBDH8
YCY → YIODH8
YEG → YZF73M 733
YEV → YVQ73M 733
YFB → YCYDH8
YFB → YGTBE1 DH8
YFB → YOW73M
YFB → YRT73M
YFB → YUXBE1 DH8
YGT → YUXDH8 BE1
YHK → YYHDH8
YRT → YUTAT4
YRT → YZF73M
YRT → YZSATR AT4
YTE → YFBBE1 DH8
YTH → YYQATR
YUX → YFBDH8 BE1
YVQ → YEV73M 733
YWG → YRTFRJ ATR
YWG → YYQFRJ
YYH → YCBDH8
YYH → YHKDH8
YYQ → YEKATR
YYQ → YRTATR AT4 FRJ
YYQ → YWGATR FRJ AT4
YZF → YCBDH8 73M
YZF → YCODH8 73M
YZF → YEG73M 733
YZF → YHKDH8
YZF → YRT73M
YZF → YVQ73M 733
YZF → YYHDH8