Resolute Bay Airport

Resolute Bay Airport
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Government of Nunavut
Location Resolute, Nunavut
Time zone CST (UTC−06:00)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC−05:00)
Elevation AMSL 222 ft / 68 m
Coordinates 74°43′01″N 094°58′10″W / 74.71694°N 94.96944°W / 74.71694; -94.96944Coordinates: 74°43′01″N 094°58′10″W / 74.71694°N 94.96944°W / 74.71694; -94.96944
Map
CYRB

Location in Nunavut

Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
17/35 6,504 1,982 Gravel
Statistics (2010)
Aircraft movements 3,275

Resolute Bay Airport (IATA: YRB, ICAO: CYRB) is located at Resolute, Nunavut, Canada, and is operated by the government of Nunavut.

Airport

The airport has served as a major transportation hub in the Arctic. Today the airport is an important refuelling stop for aircraft passing through to other places in the high Arctic such as CFS Alert, Eureka and Mould Bay. Unlike some airports in Nunavut, Resolute is equipped with an ILS precision landing system, allowing for large commercial aircraft operations. The VOR/DME is located atop a hill near the airport. The airport is not equipped with radar, however during 2011's Operation Nanook, a temporary radar installation was used for the duration of that exercise.[4]

Proposed expansion

The Royal Canadian Air Force is considering a major expansion of the airport to transform it into a key base for Arctic operations. The expansion would include a 3,000 m (9,843 ft) paved runway, hangars, fuel installations and other infrastructure.

The site would provide logistics for search-and-rescue operations according to a December 2011 briefing from the Arctic Management Office at 1 Canadian Air Division.[5]

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
First Air Arctic Bay, Iqaluit[6]
Kenn Borek Air Charters
Kenn Borek Air operated by Unaalik Aviation Grise Fiord,[7] Charters

Historically, the airport was served by several airlines operating direct, no-change-of-plane scheduled passenger jet service to such Canadian cities as Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Yellowknife. Airlines included CP Air, Nordair, Pacific Western and Transair operating either Boeing 727-100 and/or Boeing 737-200 jetliners. First Air also operated scheduled jet service with Boeing 727-200 and Boeing 737-200 aircraft in the past and presently operates scheduled passenger service into the airport with ATR 42-500 turboprop aircraft.[8] Many of these 727 and 737 flights operated by the various airlines serving Resolute were flown with Combi aircraft which were capable of transporting a mixed load of passengers and freight pallets.

Accidents

On 20 August 2011, First Air Flight 6560, a Boeing 737-200 charter flight transporting eleven passengers from Yellowknife, crashed while approaching the airport.[9] Out of the fifteen people aboard, three passengers survived the crash; the four crew members perished.[10] The extreme magnetic variation in the area was cited as a contributing factor to the crew's errors leading to the crash.

On 12 June 1968, a Fairchild F-27J operated by Great Northern Airways crashed on approach to the airport. There were no fatalities.

On 15 March 1951, an RCAF C-54 crashed on approach. There were no fatalities.[11]

References

  1. ↑ Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 27 April 2017 to 0901Z 22 June 2017
  2. ↑ "Synoptic/Metstat Station Information". Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  3. ↑ "Total aircraft movements by class of operation". Statcan.gc.ca. 11 May 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  4. ↑ "Death in the Arctic". Mayday.
  5. ↑ RCAF eyes Resolute Bay for new Arctic base
  6. ↑ "First Air Flight Schedule". Firstair.ca. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  7. ↑ "KBA flight schedule". Borekair.com. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  8. ↑ http://www.firstair.ca, Flight Schedules
  9. ↑ ASN Accident Report, Boeing 737-210C Flight 6560
  10. ↑ Fournier, Chris (21 August 2011). "First Air Says Dozen Killed in Canadian Crash". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  11. ↑ Aviation Safety Page. Retrieved 18 February 2017
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