Posted on Jan 30, 2020
In April 2019, Concert Infrastructure acquired a majority interest in Arctic Infrastructure Limited Partnership, the project company responsible for the improvement, operation and maintenance of the Iqaluit International Airport in Nunavut.
With this acquisition, Concert Infrastructure assumed responsibility for the project, while Nunavut Airport Services Ltd., a subsidiary of Winnipeg Airport Authority, remained in charge of day-to-day facility and airport operations, including servicing emergency situations.
One key function of the Iqaluit International Airport is to serve as an emergency landing site for international flights flying from North America to Europe over the Arctic Circle.
On December 31, 2019, this responsibility was put to the test when a United Airlines Boeing 777 flying direct from London, UK to San Francisco, USA experienced a medical emergency onboard and needed to land urgently. The Iqaluit International Airport was notified that the flight was to be diverted to the airport at 12:30pm.
One minute after the initial call, the staff at the Iqaluit Airport activated their emergency communication plan and called on the requisite staff and contacts, with first responders ready and in position shortly after. The plane landed on the runway at 1:11pm, with CBSA staff and first responders boarding the aircraft minutes later. The passenger was safely taken off the aircraft by stretcher and into an ambulance, and the United Airline flight was back in the air toward San Francisco soon after.
“Service Provider partner Nunavut Airport Services responded and managed the situation quickly and effectively, and we’re very pleased that all involved were OK and the flight was able to continue on,” says Derron Bain, Managing Director, Concert Infrastructure. “It’s this kind of situation that really brings home the importance of Iqaluit International Airport as a critical part of Nunavut’s infrastructure.”