First Air's new 737-400 arrives in Iqaluit

A day later than originally planned, First Air flew its new Boeing 737-400 on the Ottawa-to-Iqaluit route on Tuesday.

The inaugural flight was supposed to happen on Monday, but was delayed because of paperwork, the airline's executive vice-president Chris Ferris says.

"The launch was delayed, we hit abit of a snag with transport Canada due to the summer vacation schedule," he said. "It was a certificate we expected to have by Friday and when it was not appearing Friday afternoon we decided to postpone the inaugural service until Tuesday," he told CBC News.

The delay didn't cause any delays for passengers, as the airline was able to book another plane for Monday's flight.

The plane is longer than the rest of the airline's fleet which allows it to carry more passengers. It is also more fuel efficient.

First Air flies between 30 communities in Canada's north, and provides connections to Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg and Edmonton.

Last week, the airline announced plans to add another flight between Iqaluit and Ottawa on Mondays and Fridays.