Forest Fires Prompt Airline To Postpone Flights

Forest Fires Prompt Airline To Postpone Flights

Wednesday, June 28, 2006 at 12:51

The forest fire situation in the Far North is having an impact on northern aviation services.

Transwest Air has opted to postpone some of its scheduled service flights in order to assist with the evacuations in places like Stony Rapids and Fond du Lac.

Spokesman Ken Landers says his company realizes this will be a significant inconvenience to some, but he says company officials felt that the safety of residents of the Far North was their first responsibility.

The airports in Stony Rapids and Fond du Lac have been closed intermittently during the crisis, but Landers says his planes have been allowed in at various times to airlift people out.

In addition to Athabasca communities, Transwest Air flies to La Ronge, Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Regina.

Landers says the situation might also have an impact on flights in and out of minesites, although he’s pretty sure the company will be able to work around that.