Later this month, air travellers in Hay River will get a second option for scheduled flights to Yellowknife.
Landa Aviation – until now solely a charter air service based in Hay River – plans to launch six-days-a-week scheduled flights to the NWT capital.
"We're going to start May 22nd, just after May long weekend," said Tyler King, the operations manager with Landa Aviation.
"As of now, we're planning on two flights Monday to Friday, leaving about 7:45 in the morning and getting there at 8:15 in the morning, and then leaving there at 9:00 in the morning and getting back here at 9:30 in the morning," he explained. "And then we're planning – it's not set out in stone, yet – the evening flight will leave here at 4:15 and get to Yellowknife at 4:45, and then leave there at 6 o'clock and get back here at 6:30."
Kim King, co-owner of Landa Aviation, said there might be a little bit of movement on the times, but it won't be significant.
Plus, Tyler King said there will be at least one return flight on Saturdays.
The only current scheduled flights between Hay River and Yellowknife is offered by First Air.
And while the Fort-Smith-based Northwestern Air Lease Ltd. offers scheduled flights in Hay River, that does not include flights to Yellowknife.
Kim King said Landa Aviation has never before offered scheduled flights in its 39 years of operation, including since the King family purchased the business in 2000.
It has been a charter operation, and will continue to also offer that service.
Kim King said people have been asking Landa Aviation to begin a scheduled service to Yellowknife since Joe McBryan and his Buffalo Airways ended its 'sched' between Hay River and Yellowknife just before Christmas 2015.
"There is a consideration between operators," she said. "Like that was Joe's thing and he did it well. And so now that he's not doing it, there is a need. People are asking for it. So it's time to start and with Joe's blessing."
Tyler King also noted people have been asking him daily for Landa Aviation to launch the service.
"It's the right time and we have the capability to do it," he said. "It's a small enough expansion for us that the safety can still remain. You're not expanding too fast, because a lot of companies expand too fast and it doesn't go well in the safety end."
Landa Aviation will be using a Beechcraft King Air 100 and a Beechcraft King Air 200 on the service. Each of the twin-turbine, pressurized aircraft can accommodate nine passengers.
"They're a comfortable plane to fly in," said Tyler King. "It's very much the same as flying on a major airline, just a smaller scale."
Tyler King said the cost of the flights will be $350 one way or $600 return.
Plus, there will also be quick tickets for $250 for one-way flights that will be electronically sold in allotments of 10.
Landa Aviation hopes that competition on the route will help Hay River by lowering the cost to fly to Yellowknife.
"There are nine seats available at a reasonable price," said Kim King. "That's our assistance to the community."
She noted the scheduled service will be a departure for Landa Aviation.
"It's going to be very different because we've always been just charter," she said. "It will be year-round flying. Winter is pretty slow for us as a rule."
The scheduled service will also mean extra employment at Landa Aviation – two new pilots and an office manager to operate a new kiosk at the Hay River Merlyn Carter Airport.