Keewatin Air
A Keewatin King Air parked under the midnight sun in Baker Lake, Nunavut, the geographical centre of Canada. Photo: F/O Domenico D’Aliesio (Keewatin Air)
At A Glance
Pilots joined ALPA: 2023
Number of pilots/flightcrew members: 120
Pilot bases: Eight bases across Ontario, Nunavut, Manitoba, and the Northwest Territories
Headquarters: Winnipeg, Man.
Operations: Keewatin has operated in the rugged Canadian Arctic for more than 50 years, logging over 120,000 hours of medevac airtime in some of the most challenging environmental conditions in the world.
Fleet: 15 King Air B-200s, 4 Pilatus PC12s, 2 Pilatus PC24s, and 4 Cessna Citation C560s
Keewatin Air pilots had a momentous 2024. In February, the PC-12 pilots began operating critical-care air-ambulance services for all of Manitoba. The airline also added the PC-24 to its fleet to expand its critical-care operations.
In addition, the pilot group spent most of the year bargaining for its first collective agreement under ALPA representation. By mid-summer, the pilots’ Negotiating Committee and management had exchanged various proposals on 90 percent of the collective agreement but were at an impasse over key items.
However, a tentative agreement was ultimately reached in late October that includes significant improvements to scheduling, vacation, and overtime. The pilots ratified the two-year agreement in November.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve done to achieve our first contract, as well as what this agreement means for our pilots,” said Capt. Lahiru Gunawardhana, the pilot group’s Master Executive Council (MEC) chair. “This first collective agreement is a good foundation for us to layer on for years to come. Each subsequent agreement will build on the successes of this one and assist with career progression with our members.”
