Air North (4N, Whitehorse International) is planning to renew its fleet within the next three years to cut fuel consumption per passenger by half, President Joseph Sparling told public broadcaster CBC.
"Upgrading our scheduled service jet fleet will be a major undertaking, possibly the biggest in our 43-year history. Our goal is to deliver the most modern, fuel-efficient, and environmentally friendly service in the country, offering Yukoners and visitors to the North safe, reliable, and affordable air transportation for years to come," he elaborated in a letter to shareholders celebrating the carrier's anniversary.
While the airline did not reveal any further details about its upcoming fleet renewal, in the same letter, Sparling touted the environmental benefits of "newest generation jets" seating around 160 passengers.
The ch-aviation fleets module shows that the Canadian carrier currently operates one B737-400 and four B737-500s.
"The gains we made when we upgraded to B737-500s from B737-200s is apparent, with a 21% improvement in efficiency (2% of which is attributable to the addition of winglets)," Sparling added.
Air North calculates that the "newest generation jet" will have a 50% lower fuel consumption when compared with the B737-500s at the same industry average 83% load factor. The carrier underlined that given the sparse road network in Canada's north and huge distances, flying was a necessity rather than luxury and was less fuel-consuming than driving.
Besides the Boeing jets, Air North also operates three ATR42-300s and two BAe 748s. The Canadian aircraft register shows that Air North owns a further two inactive BAe 748s and one stored B737-200.
