Canadian North (5T, Yellowknife) has retired its last active gravel-kit-equipped B737-200C as maintaining the ageing type and its modifications had become increasingly difficult and costly to maintain.
C-GDPA (msn 22056) operated its last revenue flight from Yellowknife to Cambridge Bay on May 6, 2023. While the aircraft's northern flights are not tracked by ADS-B websites, Flightradar24 data shows that the B737 was subsequently ferried to Edmonton International on May 7, 2023.
The 43.1-year-old combi was the last of five B737-200(C)s operated by Canadian North and also the carrier's last gravel-kitted jet. The B737-200 was the only variant to feature the modification which was fitted to the aircraft's landing gears and engine intakes to allow for operations on rugged terrain. As such, the -200(C)s were deployed to a substantial number of remote towns in northern Canada. Nolinor Aviation (N5, Montréal Trudeau) and Air Inuit (3H, Kuujjuaq) continue to operate the type.
Canadian North will replace the last B737-200(C) on the Yellowknife-Cambridge Bay-Kuglutuk/Coppermine-Yellowknife route with ATR - Avions de Transport Régional aircraft. The ch-aviation fleets module shows that the airline operates two ATR42-300s, five ATR42-300(QC)s, six ATR42-500s, and two ATR72-500(F)s, as well as eight B737-300s, two B737-300(QC)s, one B737-400, two B737-400(C)s, one B737-400(F), and four B737-700s.