Nunavut registered 30,917 take offs and landings in 2023, based on the two larger airports in the territory that Statistics Canada monitors.
That represented a 7.7 per cent increase from 28,704 aircraft movements the previous year.
August was the busiest month last year with 3,318 aircraft movements.
Iqaluit accounted for the bulk of the annual activity with 18,345 take offs and landings in 2023, a 4.9 per cent hike from the 17,494 movements recorded in 2022. That was closer still to the 18,711 aircraft movements registered in 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
There was also an uptick in Iqaluit air traffic during the first couple of months of 2024. There were 1,250 take offs and landings in January and 1,297 in February. The prior year, those figures were 1,209 and 1,205, respectively.
Rankin Inlet's 12,572 take offs and landings in 2023 symbolized an approximate 11.2 per cent surge compared to a reported 11,243 a year earlier.
Rebound in passengers
Statistics Canada reported that 378,238 airline passengers came to Nunavut in 2022, an 18.8 per cent increase over 2021. However, that figure was still well off the 480,820 high recorded prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Three Kivalliq airports going up
Pilitak Enterprises Ltd. was awarded a $36.7 million tender in 2023 to construct new airport terminals in Naujaat, Whale Cove and Chesterfield Inlet.
NDL Construction continues work to expand the Rankin Inlet Airport, which will triple in size.
In May, the Government of Canada announced $6.8 million for the rehabilitation of the airside granular surface in Kugluktuk and $5.5 million for a similar project in Pangnirtung.
Iqaluit-Quebec flight opening to the public
In April, Quebec-based Chrono Aviation announced that its Iqaluit to Saint Hubert, Que., route that has been flying workers to and from Baffinland Iron Mines' Mary River mine for a few years would be opened up to the general public to purchase tickets. Making this feasible is Chrono's acquisition of a Boeing 737 800 series aircraft that will offer 67 more seats for a total of 187.
Tickets for these flights -- priced at $699 one way, per person -- will go on sale in May and the service is scheduled to take effect on Aug 6.
Saint Hubert is just outside of Montreal.
Arctic Co-operatives Limited is a part-owner of Chrono Aviation, whose fleet of 16 aircraft includes five Boeing 737s.
Greenland route added
Canadian North and Air Greenland confirmed a partnership in May that will see flights available every Wednesday between Iqaluit and Nuuk, Greenland's capital. The seasonal route, available from June 26 to Oct. 23, will also pick up passengers from Ottawa, Montreal and Kuujjuaq, Que.
Sanikiluaq setback
Residents of Sanikiluaq experienced a setback in March when their only direct flight to Iqaluit was cancelled as of the end of the month.
Arctic Fresh Projects, which operated the flights, stated that it had incurred a "large financial loss" on the route in 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, after a territorial government subsidy was withdrawn.
The consequences for Sanikiluaq's 1,000 people would be a resumption of travelling southwest to Montreal, Ottawa or Winnipeg in order to fly to other Nunavut communities.