A Forward Outlook for the Aviation Industry
The 737-200, a balancing act
One of the industry’s most mythic aircraft has not sung its Swan Song. First flown in 1967, the Boeing 737-200, one of the only jets capable of taking off and landing on gravel runways, with a capacity of over 100 passengers and 30,000 tons of cargo, is still showing its resilience. With years of flying ahead, the industry is still planning, but in the short term will most certainly rely on the one aircraft able to bring cargo and passengers up North, where most of the tracks are not tarmacked. People at mine sites in James Bay or Nunavut might see hydrogen, battery, or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) powered aircraft in the next two decades, but in the foreseeable future, they will most likely see smaller aircrafts, 737-200s, 737-400s, and 737-800s.
The way to the North
Despite growing headwinds, the 737-200 will likely remain the default solution for air carriers to serve the mining industry in the short term. The aircraft built its reputation over its reliability, its versatility, and its unique landing capabilities, despite a less glamorous carbon footprint. Nolinor recently got a confirmation from Boeing that the group would continue supporting the aircraft. “This comes at a time when most of our requests from the mining industry right now are for the Boeing 737-200” explained president Marco Prud’Homme.
Deemed the “Spirit of Yellowknife” by Canadian North, the 737-200 can be equipped with gravel deflectors behind the landing gear. This reinforces protection around sensitive equipment and modifies the engines to help keep gravel out. In Yellowknife and in the North, the reality of the terrain means that, at least in the coming years ahead, miners will certainly have to rely on the 737-200 to access the part rich in critical minerals. Nathalie Tousignant, president of OCTANT Aviation, explained: “The fleets of our carriers are composed mainly of De Havilland Dash-8s, as short airstrips are standard in the North. Most runways are gravel and very few types of aircraft can land on these surfaces. On longer runways, the Boeing 737-200 is still the most suitable aircraft.”
"Climate risks like extreme weather have the potential to disproportionately impact remote communities like those that host our fly-in, fly-out operations."
David Gaudreau, General Manager, Éléonore Mine, Newmont
Complimentary offerings
While the 737-200 still has good years ahead of it, the industry’s main players are looking at ways to complement their offering to answer efficiency, sustainability, and forward-looking challenges. Despite holding the largest fleet of 737-200s there is, Nolinor added a 737-800 – and 737-400s – aircraft capability, key to transporting more passengers, and uses its 400s and 800s for charter only to adapt. Chrono Aviation uses its 737-800 to serve customers throughout the Americas. The next two years will be pivotal for the firm in its quest to unlock capital and engineer solutions to provide the industry with new flying ways. As put by Vincent Gagnon, its president: “In short, the Boeing 737-200 is getting old. It is necessary to replace the current aircraft with a more fuel efficient and reliable one to better serve the mining industry.”
Sustainability focuses
Unsurprisingly, sustainability-related topics will keep aviation executives busy in the coming years. In the age of social media and public transparency, the industry has often been the target – often unfairly – of environmental and civil society groups regarding the fuel consumption and carbon footprint of aircraft. While the challenge is global, Québec has (of course) its own twist to it: adapting gravel runways. The industry must invest for different types of jets to be able to take off and land from Québec’s most remote areas, and this is one of the contributions OCTANT could make in the future: “We are working to find a stabilizer product for gravel runways that will allow the use of more recent-generation aircraft that have less jet-fuel consumption. This type of product could potentially reduce the frequency of runway maintenance. That would be a game-changer for the industry,” expressed Nathalie Tousignant.
Could battery-powered fleets be a new norm in the future? The first battery-powered commercial aircraft took off from Washington in 2022, with the capacity to carry nine passengers and 250-mile autonomy. Québec is known for its innovative minds and ingenious entrepreneurs. Simon Contant, Air Tunilik’s president, shared his vision of an electrified horizon: “We have made significant strides in reducing our carbon footprint by transitioning from piston engines to turbine engines. This transition also involves shifting a gasoline-based fuel to jet fuel, a cleaner alternative. Looking ahead, we envision a future where battery-powered aircraft become an integral part of our fleet.”
With the world looking at Québec’s minerals, aviation service providers will be protagonists in making the generational opportunity a reality in the province. And this, according to Québec’s highest operating standards: safety, efficiency, and sustainability.
Image courtesy of Nolinor Aviation