Early in 2024, Air Inuit signed a 10-year air transportation service contract with the Tulattavik Health Centre, the provider of health care and social services to communities on the Ungava Coast of Nunavik. The agreement included a first for the region: a dedicated and medically engineered Dash8-100 for medevac missions.
Our teams were ripe for the challenge as it aligned with Air Inuit’s commitment to innovation and its promise to continuously strive to improve services offered to Nunavimmiut. Airlifting people in urgent need of medical care is one of our most essential and time-sensitive services. Until now, medical evacuations were exclusively carried out by King Air or Twin-Otter aircrafts. Albeit their sturdiness and versatility, these planes do offer restrictions in terms of capacity. A larger medically configured aircraft would ensure quicker handling of urgent matters and a more comfortable transfer for individuals and their families.
The Dash8 was acquired and modified in Montreal where our skilled teams proceeded to convert it into an aircraft specifically engineered and adapted for evacuations. The design itself was a joint effort, worked on to fulfill the Health Centre’s needs. External engineering teams were involved to optimize features and integrate the necessary medical equipment. The process took 18 labour-intensive months to complete.
The aircraft was finally unveiled at the Kuujjuaq Airport in February 2025. Air Inuit and Tulattavik’s executives were on site with media to offer a glimpse of the aircraft’s state-of-the-art technology and upgraded configuration. Features include an incubator for newborn babies, a designated area to access and load stretchers on specialized ramps, and enough space to welcome 14 seated passengers. Previously, medical equipment such as incubators had to be partially disassembled to be placed inside the plane. This is good news for both patients and medical staff who can more safely and efficiently do their jobs in critical moments. The aircraft is also equipped with an auxiliary power unit (APU) to ensure operational independence during layovers.
Now in service, the specialized Dash8-100 will significantly enhance the quality of medevac services to the Ungava commu-nities and streamline operations for our teams. The aircraft will be able to carry out medical transportation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with its dedicated medical team.
Medical Evacuations (MEDEVAC) on the Ungava Coast
(Statistics provided by Tulattavik Health Centre)
917 medical evacuations by air in 1 year (between April 1 and March 31, 2024).
50,000 km² of territory served north of the 55th parallel.
More than 7,000 residents on the Ungava Coast living in 7 villages.
