Flights into northwestern Ontario's remote communities take extra precautions due to COVID-19

Remote communities throughout northwestern Ontario have said they are worried about COVID-19 getting into the far north, and ravaging the people who live there.

"We were pretty quick on picking up what was going on," said Mark Shruiff, the Pilatus training captain and line pilot with North Star Air in Thunder Bay, Ont.

"We called them COVID kits, which includes sanitization products, gloves masks, extra garbage bags and some procedures for crews could take care to try and stop it as best as we could, especially with the kind of flying we do."

Shruiff said the number of passengers on flights has dropped dramatically, but cargo has remained steady flowing into the north. He said those who do fly are generally essential workers, such as those who work in health care, or repair infrastructure.

'Everyone knows the potential ramification of not being careful'

"A lot of the communities were getting really nervous, and if a case gets up into one of the communities, it could be pretty dire."

He said the usual scene at a northern airport, with people waiting for planes to land to greet relatives and waiting for cargo to come off, is quite different.

Now, nobody is there to greet the aircraft, with the exception of the airline's northern agent. Passengers who are flying to another community are not allowed to disembark the aircraft at all during an intermediary stop, he said.

Shruiff said North Star Air has to keep flying into many of its communities - as the airline has the contract to bring in parcels and mail for Canada Post.

Pilots must wear masks and gloves before they step off the plane, he said, and physical distancing rules are in place, especially when dealing with people who live in the remote area.

"The only people that we're really interacting with is the agents, who work up in the community. They are community members. And again, they have masks and gloves, and it's all very, everyone keeps their distance. There's not a whole lot of chit chat anymore that used to go on."

Shruiff said while North Star is still flying, although not as often as before, the company has still felt the impact of COVID-19. The airline laid off ten pilots last week, which was difficult on everybody, he said.

"It's been really tough. Everyone knows the potential ramification of not being careful, so that's laid quite heavily on some people."

"If anything, we're just happy to be working right now."