IMPROVED ARCTIC AIR TRAVEL

July 20, 2018 | Arctic Watch

IMPROVED ARCTIC AIR TRAVEL

You can now get to the Arctic faster than ever! Last week, the first large aircraft to land at Arctic Watch put down on our airstrip on the Cunningham River delta. We couldn’t be more thrilled!

After three years of ongoing dedication and planning, we are extremely excited to have the first ATR-72 to land on our airstrip at Arctic Watch. The ATR, which will fly direct to Arctic Watch from Yellowknife, cuts off an entire hour of flight time from previous flights. With seating for 72 when setup as a passenger plane, the ATR is significantly bigger than any plane we have ever landed at Arctic Watch. Despite the increase in seating, we will continue to maintain the same small group size (at a maximum of 26 guests weekly). Rather, the added capacity of the ATR will allow our executive chef to showcase his talent with more variety and fresher ingredients arriving at the lodge weekly.

Previous planes to land at Arctic Watch, are designed to handle the more challenging conditions of makeshift runways throughout the Arctic. To land an ATR required a significant rebuild of our existing runway which sits in the delta of Cunningham River. Located on an uninhabited island in Canada’s High Arctic, we lacked machinery or infrastructure. In the end, our success can be credited to a blend of stubborn persistence, human ingenuity and seemingly boundless manpower.

With the seal of approval for the ATR, our airstrip can now accept a wider range of aircraft and we welcome guests with their own private aircraft to contact us and fly directly to Arctic Watch at your leisure. We’re proud to be welcoming our first private jet to Arctic Watch later this season!