Several airstrips in northern Quebec are in such poor condition that they damage planes, says an airline which is suing the government for nearly $9 million.
Air Inuit, which owns 36 aircraft, alleges that the runways of Nunavik’s 13 airports, made of gravel, are negligently maintained, according to an appeal recently filed before the Superior Court of Quebec.
The company reports “major deterioration issues […] more specifically problems of compaction, leveling, clogging, dust and erosion control”, and this, since 2019.
She places the blame on the Kativik Regional Administration (ARK), responsible for maintaining the trails, and on the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility (MTMD), which is the owner.
Prematurely worn engines
Air Inuit maintains that it had to ask the Pratt & Whitney company in 2022 to replace the turbines of some of its engines and to investigate their “premature” wear.
The airline was then allegedly informed that these engines were “experiencing erosion due to gravel and excess dust improperly coming into contact with the turbines,” the suit reads.
Replacing the parts would have cost her $8.9 million, an amount that she is claiming entirely from the ARK and the MTMD, to whom she says she has reported maintenance defects on the landing strips 174 times since 2019. .
“Despite the numerous interventions made by the plaintiff, the inaction of the Defendants in the face of this problem is persistent. It is therefore to be expected that other aircraft equipment […] will have to be prematurely repaired or replaced,” mentions the request.
In August 2024, the president of the Board of Directors of Air Inuit, Noah Tayara, denounced the postponement of work at the Puvirnituq airport, which must replace the gravel runway with a paved runway.
In an interview with -, he argued that gravel runways prematurely damaged plane engines by around 50% and that they prevented the company from using larger planes carrying more merchandise.
TSB investigation
Furthermore, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has opened an investigation into the landing of an Air Inuit plane at the Kangiqsujuaq airport, one of the sites targeted by the lawsuit, March 30 2024.
The Air Inuit aircraft after landing on March 30, 2024 in Kangiqsujuaq being investigated by the TSB.
Photo taken from the TSB website
When the plane hit the runway, part of its landing gear separated, causing the plane to bounce to the ground and causing significant damage. No one had been injured.
The aircraft had suffered significant damage.
Photo taken from the TSB website
It is currently unknown whether the condition of the track was a factor.
Air Inuit declined to comment due to the ongoing legal process.
The ARK and the MTMD, for their part, did not respond to our interview requests.
