Calm Air (MO, Thompson) and Kivalliq Air (Winnipeg International) parent, the Exchange Income Corporation (EIC), has announced it has entered into a long-term strategic alliance agreement with Sakku Investments Corporation (Sakku), the business arm of the Kivalliq Inuit Association.
"The strategic alliance will allow EIC's operating subsidiaries, including Calm Air International LP and Keewatin Airlines LP, to leverage Sakku's local knowledge, area representation, community feedback and direct relationship with the Kivalliq people to more effectively provide aviation services to the communities in the Kivalliq Region," a statement said.
The Kivalliq Region is an administrative region of Nunavut, Canada. It consists of the portion of the mainland to the west of Hudson Bay together with Southampton Island and Coats Island.
As part of the strategic alliance, Calm Air will long-term lease an aircraft hangar in Rankin Inlet owned and recently constructed by Sakku. The hangar will allow Calm Air to offer customers in the Kivalliq Region better service while at the same time improving operational reliability. It will also provide a facility from which to expand its northern operations.
Calm Air currently operates a fleet of seven ATR42-300s, four ATR72-200s, and two Do328-300s on scheduled services throughout Canada's Manitoba and Nunavut provinces.
"Calm Air has been a scheduled carrier in our region for over 30 years, and Keewatin Airlines has been doing air ambulance flights in the Kivalliq for over 40 years, so partnering with EIC just made sense," said Mr. Airo Pameolik, Chairman of Sakku. "The strategic alliance will allow Sakku to participate financially from essential services that both carriers provide to the region, and will allow the beneficiaries of the region to benefit from increase aviation activity in the Kivalliq including resource development."
