“It was out of necessity and a desire to
provide for ourselves and in doing so that
allowed for our community to benefit,”
Chief Dumas said.
Over the course of 30 years, the company
has become the largest privately-owned
employer airline in the province. Equipped
with a 52-person crew and state-of-the-
art fleet, it is hard to imagine the airline’s
modest beginnings where a single plane,
a pilot and a general manager summed up
its name.
Owned by the MCCN, the company is now
one of the oldest airlines in northern Mani-
toba, with a base in The Pas and offices
in Winnipeg, Thompson, Norway House
and Pukatawagan. Decades of dominating
the air has brought forth an expansion in
both services offered and geography. The
company serves First Nations communi-
ties in northern Manitoba, Saskatchewan,
Ontario and Nunavut and offers scheduled
flights, air charter services and most im-
portantly, Missinippi Air-Care, an award-
winning air ambulance service that has
greatly benefited the people of the North.
“We are a 100 percent First Nations airline,
but our clientele is everyone. We serve
everyone,” Chief Dumas said. Apart from
bringing in trade and tourism, the airline
is used by various government agencies
like Manitoba Hydro. Missinippi Air-Care,
in particular, is impacting the lives of First
“It was out of necessity and a desire to provide for ourselves and in doing so that
allowed for our community to benefit.” Chief Arlen Dumas, president
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SEPTEMBER 2016
