COVID-19 Update
Dear Valued Customer,
I thought you might appreciate some insight into what we at Air North, Yukon’s Airline are doing in response to COVID-19.
The safety of our passengers and staff is our first priority. We are taking a proactive approach to handling the situation, which begins with monitoring the latest information and advisories from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Transport Canada and Global Affairs Canada. In addition, our safety department is communicating daily with the airports we serve to stay updated on the steps they’re taking to keep passengers protected. Anything we learn is being shared with our staff so that they always have access to up-to-date information.
On-board our aircraft
Our standard practice as part of our daily aircraft deep cleaning is to use a hospital-grade product called ZEP Aviation RTU Cleaner/Disinfectant, a broad-spectrum cleaning agent that has proven effective against viruses similar to COVID-19.
To further protect passengers and crew, we are providing our cabin crews and grooming team with Oxivir wipes, a hydrogen peroxide-based product that is non-irritating to eyes and skin but effective against a number of pathogens. These steps will offer us the best opportunity to keep frequently touched surfaces as clean as possible—in addition to wiping down our galleys before and after each service. We will also be making a few minor adjustments to our in-flight service to ensure the safety of our crew and passengers. Until further notice, we will not be refilling personal travel mugs or cups onboard our flights and will not ask passengers to keep their cups for the second beverage service. Furthermore, we will not be offering pillows or blankets onboard. All of these adjustments are temporary and directly related to protecting passengers and crew amongst the COVID-19 outbreak.
In regards to the Flight Attendants, it is prescribed in our manuals that any active crewmember must be Fit for Duty, and we have established procedures in place in response to a case where a crewmember is not Fit for Duty due to sickness or other factors. We can guarantee no employee would be asked to come into work if they were not feeling well.
Of particular concern to our passengers may be the air quality on our flights. Fresh air fills the cabin every two to three minutes on our Boeing 737s and every five to seven minutes on our ATR 42 aircraft. Our 737s are all equipped with HEPA filters similar to ones found in hospitals, which are capable of capturing 99.97% of microbes and bacteria in the air. These filters are replaced regularly as part of our standard aircraft maintenance procedures.
Offering flexibility during a challenging time
We believe it’s important to offer our passengers flexibility during this time, so we are waiving one-time change fees for travel booked between 10 March and 5 April 2020. Passengers will be able to modify their bookings for travel between 20 March and 15 December 2020. Modifications to itineraries must be made at least 10 days before scheduled travel date. If you would like to modify your booking, please contact our call centre at 1.800.661.0407 ext. 1 or (867) 668.2228 ext. 1.
The risk of infection from COVID-19 in Canada remains low. Travellers who are returning from abroad are being asked to monitor their health for fever, cough, and difficulty breathing for 14 days after returning to the country, and to notify the public health authority in their province or territory if they notice symptoms.
The news and events have shifted rapidly over the past few weeks, so we encourage you to visit our website as we will be keeping it updated with the latest information pertaining to our operations as it becomes available.
We value and appreciate your business, and look forward to seeing you onboard Air North, Yukon's Airline soon.
Joe Sparling
President & CEO