Canadian North and First Air to Introduce Codeshare Agreement

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - May 13, 2015) - Canadian North Inc. and First Air announced today that they have reached an agreement to codeshare on selected flights operated by both airlines.

Introducing this codeshare will significantly improve flight schedules, provide greater choice for customers and continue to improve the sustainability of our airline. This agreement is less complex than a merger agreement, however many of the benefits envisioned previously in a merger scenario will be realized with it. Unlike a merger though, where a single merged firm sets prices post-merger, under this codeshare agreement each party will continue to independently set prices and compete for business.

"Our airline operates in one of the most challenging geographical and economic environments anywhere in the world," says Canadian North President Steve Hankirk. "With escalating costs, shrinking travel budgets and increasing competition, we must always be looking for new, more efficient ways of offering our scheduled service to northerners. This codeshare agreement is a breakthrough that brings even more choice to our northern customers and ensures our long term sustainability."

In mid-July Canadian North will publish a new flight schedule in its reservation system allowing customers to make reservations through all booking channels. The first codeshare flight will take to the skies in late July. The following are highlights of the enhancements being made to the current flight schedule as a result of the codeshare agreement:

Iqaluit - Ottawa

• The flight schedule will be enhanced by separating current flight times, delivering additional choices for our customers, with early morning and early afternoon departure times.

Cambridge Bay and the Kitikmeot

• Daily Boeing jet flights between Yellowknife and Cambridge Bay will be implemented, replacing the existing Dash-8 turboprop flights.

Edmonton, Yellowknife and the Mackenzie Valley

• Daily jet service up and down the Mackenzie Valley will continue, and a Monday and Friday non-stop flight will be added between Yellowknife and Inuvik.
• A Monday morning flight will be introduced from Yellowknife to Edmonton.

Trans Arctic

• Combined service will continue with three days per week service.

Information about the new Canadian North flight schedule and the codeshare agreement, answers to frequently asked questions and high resolution images available for publication can be found on the Canadian North website at canadiannorth.com/info/codeshare

Communications will be issued as milestones in the codeshare and schedule implementation process are reached. In the interim, Canadian North will continue to operate with safety continuing as our number one priority.

About Canadian North

Canadian North and its founding companies (Canadian Airlines, Pacific Western Airlines, Transair, Nordair) have proudly served Canada's North with passenger and cargo services for more than 80 years, with scheduled flights to 17 destinations in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, via the southern gateways of Edmonton and Ottawa. Canadian North is also the premier provider of air charter services for large resource sector clients requiring dependable, efficient and economical fly-in/fly-out charter services, as well as charter flights across North America for sports teams, cruise lines and large groups. Canadian North is a subsidiary of NorTerra Inc., which is owned by the Inuvialuit Development Corporation, representing the Inuvialuit of the Western Arctic.