Air North to move centre of operations to Yukon

Air North is moving its flight dispatch centre to Yukon, meaning it will operate solely out of the North.

The new flight dispatch office will be able to more effectively route aircraft, which could increase the number of flight paths available allowing pilots to fly faster and with less turbulence, said a Monday news release from Air North.

Air North began operating in 2002 and has been contracting out its flight dispatch service to a company based in Calgary, Atla.

Joe Sparling, president and CEO of Air North, said the company had to outsource the work to Alberta because he didn't know of any qualified flight dispatchers in the territories.

"It's something that we wanted to bring in house, bring those jobs up to the Yukon," Sparling said.

Air North's flight dispatch centre will begin operating on June 15.

Sparling said having the new flight dispatch department in Whitehorse will create six to eight new jobs in the Yukon.

Air North has also been training it's flight personnel to make them qualified flight dispatchers. Becoming a flight dispatcher involves passing an exam with Transport Canada, Sparling said.

"You don't need to know how to fly the airplane, but you need to know a lot of the other stuff associated with operating the flight," he said, adding that the qualifications for a flight dispatcher are similar to those of a pilot.

Flight dispatchers consult with the flight crew and sign off on plane departures and advise on rerouting flights.

Air North is Yukon's primary airline and employs more than 400 people. Many Yukoners are Air North shareholders.