SASKATOON — Rise Air President and CEO Derek Nice said the company's expansion of its fleet will increase its service to northern Saskatchewan, indicative of a growing demand for transporting passengers and the workforce.
Rise Air has purchased a new ATR 72-600, increasing its fleet to 25 aircraft. It is currently in production and scheduled to be delivered in late 2026, to be in service in early 2027. It will be the fourth additional aircraft in the last two years,
The 68-seater turboprop, leased from aviation services company Dubai Aerospace Enterprises, is part of Rise Air’s four-year fleet renewal program that saw an investment of more than $160 million. DAE is one of the world’s largest commercial passenger aircraft leasing companies.
Nice told SaskToday that the additional aircraft will allow Rise Air to expand service to the northern communities it serves while also supporting commercial customers.
“This new aircraft is going to enable us to increase service for several customers, including the communities that we serve in northern Saskatchewan. It gives us additional capacity. It can carry 68 passengers, so that's the largest aircraft in the fleet. With the additional aircraft, it allows us to offer more frequencies as well.”
While no new routes are planned in the immediate future, Nice said Rise Air continually adjusts its schedule to reflect the transportation needs of northern communities and industries, and they annually assess how they can enhance their service into the Athabasca Basin.
“This summer we've increased the number of seats available to Wollaston Lake and Uranium City, and we've increased the number of flights to Points North Landing. We'll continue to make adjustments to the schedules as demand increases,” Nice said.
Investing for the future
He added that, aside from increasing capacity, they expect their ongoing investment in purchasing newer aircraft will improve operational reliability in a region where weather and remote operating conditions can create challenges.
“Modern aircraft require less maintenance and experience fewer technical delays, helping ensure passengers and cargo reach their destinations on schedule. Reliability is really important. We're always dealing with weather and other operational constraints,” said Nice.
“Newer aircraft reduce the number of maintenance or technical delays. That will have a significant impact on reliability. Part of the planning we've been doing over the last five years has been focused on upgrading the fleet with newer, more modern aircraft that will give us that additional reliability.”
Nice said their fleet expansion will create new employment opportunities across the airline. He highlighted the over 150 employees they added to the company over the past five years and expects further hiring as operations continue to expand.
“We've added over 150 jobs in the last five years, and we're going to continue to add jobs as we grow. Adding this aircraft will create additional highly skilled jobs for pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, flight operations teams and other employees across our bases,” he said.
Northern economy
He added that Rise Air's growth also has an economic impact beyond the airline itself by supporting businesses that rely on dependable passenger and cargo transportation throughout northern Saskatchewan, providing job opportunities through their freight and passenger services.
Mining, one of the key industries in the province’s Athabasca Basin, is driving demand as the region is home to some of the world's richest uranium and other critical mineral deposits. Rise Air provides transportation services for mine workers, contractors and equipment moving to and from remote sites.
“The mining sector is very important for the economy in northern Saskatchewan. As northern Saskatchewan's airline, it's our job to support the mining industry. We see the growing interest in resource exploration and production in the north as being a key factor for our future growth, and we definitely want to continue to provide the capacity the mining industry needs going forward.”
The ATR 72-600 is designed specifically for regional aviation and northern operations. Powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127XT engines, the aircraft offers lower fuel consumption, reduced maintenance costs and significantly lower carbon emissions than older turboprop aircraft. It is also approved for gravel runway operations, making it well suited to many northern airports and industrial work sites.
Passengers will also benefit from a more modern travel experience, including improved climate control, increased legroom, larger overhead storage bins and an advanced flight deck that enhances operational efficiency while reducing pilot workload.
Rise Air, which is 100 per cent Indigenous-owned, has spent more than seven decades connecting northern Saskatchewan communities with essential passenger, cargo, medevac and charter services. The addition of a fourth ATR 72-600 reinforces the airline's long-term strategy of investing in modern aircraft to improve service reliability while supporting economic development and community growth across Saskatchewan's North.
