KIVALLIQ - A Saskatoon-based charter flight provider has customized its service to mining and exploration companies operating near Rankin Inlet and Baker Lake.

Pronto Airways has added a weekly direct flight from Saskatoon to Rankin Inlet followed by a stop in Baker Lake, the latter being a mining and exploration hub.

The service came at the request of companies like Agnico-Eagle, which is building the infrastructure for its gold mine 70 km north of Baker Lake, and Areva Resources, which is conducting a two-year feasibility study for its planned Kiggavik project, Nunavut's first uranium mine, 80 km west of the hamlet.

"I'm a little out of breath," said Doug Jenkins, marketing manager for Pronto Airways. "I just helped unload a couple thousands pounds of cargo for Cameco to fly up this weekend."

Cameco is another company looking for uranium in the Baker Lake area.

The weekly Saturday flight to Rankin Inlet - which lasts four hours, includes a brief refueling stop at Points North Landing, Sask., and ends with a 20-minute jaunt to Baker Lake - made its debut May 17.

Six drillers from Boart Longyear, a drilling company contracted by Areva and Cameco, and 454 kilograms of cargo made up the first load.

A Beechcraft 1900 is used for the flight.

"I call it the high performance Twin Otter," said Jenkins. "The difference between it and a regular Twin Otter is that the Twin Otter flies at 9,000 feet and boogies along at about 153 miles an hour.

"The Beechcraft flies to 25,000 feet and cruises at 300 miles an hour. So for long distances, this is an ideally suited aircraft."

The cost of the flight comes to $1,303 with taxes.

Jenkins sees the flight serving other industries as well.

"I've talked to a number of people who work (near Baker Lake and Rankin Inlet) on a rotational basis. They're in there for a month, then they're off for a couple weeks. If they're from Saskatchewan, it may the best opportunity for them to get in that direction," he said.

"Medical professionals may use it, too. There might also be some medical patients that need to get out, and our run might be the quickest way."

Barry McCallum, manager of Nunavut affairs for Areva, said the service will go hand in hand with the Kiggavik operation, which will have a crew of 60 people onsite this summer, 20 of them from Baker Lake and the rest coming mostly from Saskatchewan.

"With a head office in Saskatoon and project site in Baker Lake, this four-hour connection is great for us," said McCallum. "The alternatives are either going over to Winnipeg and up, or going to Edmonton and up, and it tends to take 12 hours to do that."