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January 24, 2012 | Air Service, Airport City, YEG News Releases

Media Release

“Seriously Northern” airline spreads its wings at EIA

Canadian North chooses Edmonton as southern charter base

January 24, 2012 (Edmonton, Alta.) – Canadian North has selected Edmonton International Airport (EIA) as its primary southern charter home base.

Canadian North recently added three additional Boeing 737s and is working with Executive Flight Centre to build up to 500 additional staff to service industrial clients from their new primary charter base in Edmonton.  The new aircraft and staff will provide chartered air service for industrial clients (Oil & Gas and Mining) working in Northern Alberta and Northern Canada.

“We’re excited to have this premium facility at Edmonton International Airport,” said Tracy Medve, President of Canadian North.  “The Canadian North Charter Terminal/Executive Flight Centre T3 offers everything we need to provide a seamless travel experience for our valued charter customers.  Furthermore, the rapidly growing economy of the Edmonton area makes us confident that this is a great place to invest.”

Executive Flight Centre has extensively renovated and upgraded the largest hangar at EIA specifically to serve Canadian North’s industrial charter business.

“EFC is pleased to have partnered with Canadian North and EIA to create this much needed northern gateway for the expanding industrial charter business,” added Dean Buckland, President of Executive Flight Centre.  “We look forward to playing a leadership role in fueling future developments and expansion of the industrial charter market here at the Edmonton International Airport.”

With increasing passenger volumes in 2011 and growing charter and cargo aviation business, EIA is committed to building and modernizing air service infrastructure.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to have Canadian North call Edmonton home for their charter operations,” said Reg Milley, EIA President and CEO. “Their role serving the North fits perfectly with our mission of driving our region’s prosperity through aviation and commercial development.  Serving northern resource activity has made the Edmonton area the manufacturing capital of western Canada. Our region powers Canada’s economy now!”

More information is at: www.flyeia.com, www.canadiannorth.com, www.executiveflightcentre.com

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Media Contact:

EIA                                Canadian North                         Executive flight Centre

Sarah Meffen                    Lisa Hicks                                   Wayne Smook

Communications               Marketing Manager                       VP, Airport Services

c. 780 884 2966                c: 403 510 9509                           c: 403 880 8718

e. smeffen@flyeia.com       e: lhicks@canadiannorth.com       e: wsmook@executiveflightcentre.com

 

Backgrounder

About Canadian North

Canadian North and its founding companies (Canadian Airlines, Pacific Western, Transair, Nordair) have proudly served the North with passenger and cargo services for more than 80 years.  They fly to Northwest Territories and Nunavut through their southern gateways of Edmonton and Ottawa, as well as to select destinations in Manitoba and Nunavut through their partnership with Calm Air.  Canadian North also offers charter services within and beyond the North for industrial clients, sports teams, and large groups.  Canadian North is a member of the NorTerra Group of Companies whose parent corporation, NorTerra Inc., is owned equally by Nunasi Corporation, representing the Inuit of Nunavut; and the Inuvialuit Development Corporation, representing the Inuvialuit of the Western Arctic.

About Executive Flight Centre

Executive Flight Centre is a privately held company which has been setting standards in aviation fuel and service for forty years.  Executive Flight Centre is a diverse aviation service provider that specializes in all aspects of the aviation service sector, catering to the needs of airport users, offering aviation fuel, full service fixed base operations, airport management and ground handling services, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  Building on their experience in aviation fuel sales and service, EFC now offers expertise in the areas of airport management and aviation real estate development across Western Canada.  Their newly renovated EIA facility T-3 provides 46,500 sq ft of aircraft handling space, 27,000 sq ft of office space and 14,000 sq ft of terminal space.

About Edmonton International Airport (EIA)

EIA is the fifth busiest airport in Canada, the largest in landmass and the transportation nexus for Alberta’s energy sector.  Since the majority of oil sands development is happening where housing is limited, oil companies have built their own air strips and moved to fly in – fly out operations for employees and contractors.  In 2010, EIA’s charter, or business aviation sector grew to more than half a million passengers.   EIA has invested over $20 Million dollars in infrastructure, facilities and services to support the specific needs of business aviation, including more than 30,150 sq m of aircraft handling apron and the necessary taxiways and new parking lots for business aviation customers.