North Star Air


North Star Air is a Canadian charter, passenger, and cargo airline with its headquarters in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It maintains a secondary passenger hub in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, and cargo hubs in Pickle Lake, Red Lake, Kapuskasing and Thompson, Manitoba. The airline primarily serves First Nations communities, providing regular service to 18 airports under its "Flex Flight Passenger Service". It also serves other regional destinations on an on-demand basis. Founded in 1997 as a floatplane operator with two DHC-2 Beaver aircraft based in Pickle Lake, the airline has expanded over time and was acquired by new ownership in 2012. In 2015, Cargo North and North Star Air merged under the North Star banner. In 2022, North Star Air opened a new cargo depot in Winnipeg.
On April 28, 2017, The North West Company announced its purchase of North Star Air for $31 million.

First Nations partners

North Star Air partners with eleven First Nations:
Tribal CouncilFirst Nations
Keewaytinook Okimakanak CouncilDeer Lake First Nation
Keewaytinook Okimakanak CouncilNorth Spirit Lake First Nation
Keewaytinook Okimakanak CouncilPoplar Hill First Nation
Matawa First NationsEabametoong First Nation
Matawa First NationsMarten Falls First Nation
Matawa First NationsNeskantaga First Nation
Matawa First NationsWebequie First Nation
Mushkegowuk CouncilKashechewan First Nation
Windigo First Nations CouncilCat Lake First Nation
Windigo First Nations CouncilNorth Caribou Lake First Nation
Windigo First Nations CouncilSachigo Lake First Nation

Destinations

, North Star Air serves the following Ontario destinations:
Province/territoryCityAirportNotes
OntarioBearskin Lake First NationBearskin Lake Airport-
OntarioCat Lake First NationCat Lake Airport-
OntarioDeer Lake First NationDeer Lake Airport-
OntarioEabametoong First Nation Fort Hope Airport-
OntarioKitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation Big Trout Lake Airport-
OntarioMarten Falls First NationOgoki Post Airport-
OntarioMuskrat Dam Lake First NationMuskrat Dam Airport-
OntarioNeskantaga First NationLansdowne House Airport-
OntarioNorth Caribou Lake First Nation Round Lake (Weagamow Lake) Airport-
OntarioNorth Spirit Lake First NationNorth Spirit Lake Airport-
OntarioPikangikum First NationPikangikum Airport-
OntarioPoplar Hill First NationPoplar Hill Airport-
OntarioRed LakeRed Lake-
OntarioSachigo Lake First NationSachigo Lake Airport-
OntarioSioux LookoutSioux Lookout AirportSecondary hub
OntarioThunder BayThunder Bay International AirportHub
OntarioWapekeka First NationAngling Lake/Wapekeka Airport-
OntarioWebequie First NationWebequie Airport-

Fleet

North Star Air had 15 aircraft registered with Transport Canada but lists 19 on its website.
AircraftNumber
TC list
Number
North Star list
VariantsNotes
ATR 7245ATR 72-212A (ATR 72-500)Based at Thompson, freight only
De Havilland Canada Dash 84Series 100/300Combi aircraft, based at Thunder Bay, up to 39 passengers. Flights are operated by Summit Air.
Douglas DC-333Basler BT-67Based at Kapuskasing, Pickle Lake, Red Lake and Thompson, freight only
Pilatus PC-1287PC-12/45, PC-12/47, PC-12/47ECombi aircraft, based at Sioux Lookout and Thunder Bay, up to 9 passengers
Total1519--

Bases

North Star Air operates six bases at the following airports: