Air North to introduce Mayo flights

Air North is planning to offer regular flights to Mayo, Yukon, where a silver mine began operation earlier this year and a gold mine could open in the next couple years.

The Yukon-based airline says it wants to introduce regular scheduled service to Mayo because of the growing amount of mining and exploration around the central Yukon community.

"Our interest in Mayo was generated purely by the mining industry," Air North president Joe Sparling told CBC News on Wednesday.

"It's about putting enough capacity in to look after the level of demand."

Earlier this year, Alexco Resources opened its Bellekeno silver mine near Keno, a community located 46 kilometres from Mayo.

"We're doing charters, once a week, for crew changes for Alexco right now," Sparling said.

"There's other mining activity in the Mayo area, as well as the community itself, that I think would support perhaps a three-day-a-week scheduled service in combination with Dawson."

Meanwhile, Victoria Gold is looking at opening a mine at its Dublin Gulch property, about 45 kilometres northeast of Mayo.

The company said this month that a pre-feasibility study indicates its Eagle Gold mining project would be profitable. The mine plan is currently being reviewed by the Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Board.

Sparling said Air North is waiting for the Mayo airport to be certified for scheduled air passenger service before announcing details about the new flights.