"For the next 20 years, there will be lots of exploration and development in a region where there are few roads and limited sea access. So, aviation will play a crucial role in the green transition." 

Marco Prud’Homme

PRESIDENT, NOLINOR AVIATION

May 26, 2023

How has Nolinor Aviation (Nolinor) adapted to the needs of the mining industry in 2023?

Most of our requests from the mining industry right now are related to the Boeing 737-200, the only certified jet by Boeing that can land on gravel. We have the largest fleet of 737-200 in the world and recently received a confirmation from Boeing that they would continue supporting the aircraft. We are also brining back two Boeings that were removed from the fleet at the beginning of the pandemic. One aircraft should be ready before the end of June, and the other at the beginning of 2024.

Did you notice a shift in demand from majors and juniors for Nolinor’s services?

Increasingly, mining firms want us to take care of larger logistics in the aviation field. Some operators may request oversized cargo to bring to their mine, so firms will ask us to take cargo from Europe to North America. We are handling those services, and we are also branching into smaller aircraft: we have a division that has a small fleet of PC-12 aircrafts, and a small fleet of Beach 1900. These are needed to transport workers from the local communities to the mining sites. We want to push those added services to the coming years, so we can offer mining firms turnkey air solutions. We added a 737-800 recently, and if you have a fair amount of people to move, this is key. Adding 400s and 800s to the fleet adds flexibility, and we want to be seen on the market as an airline that brings 360-degree solutions.

There is a change in the market. Five years ago, people looked for cheap prices. We stuck to our philosophy, which is bringing value to mining companies, and you need an important fleet to do so. This comes to a price.

What will the growing need for critical minerals mean for the aviation segment in Québec?

For the next 20 years, there will be lots of exploration and development in a region where there are few roads and limited sea access. So, aviation will play a crucial role in the green transition.

Can you touch upon some of Nolinor’s investments in new technologies and sustainability practices?

We added younger aircrafts to our fleet, which is our way of adapting, and we use the 400 and 800 for charter requests only. In the coming years, we might have to enroll in specific environmental programs, and we welcome the idea with an open mind. In November 2022, we started working on AI solutions for our safety management system (SMS). We created an API and used ChatGPT to manage part of the report. Simply put, the AI will summarize a 3-page report in a paragraph. At the end of the process, we asked ChatGPT to act as an airline safety specialist and provide a draft of safety measures. This was a 3-month project that we deployed in mid-April, and so far the result is so good we are thinking of developing a commercial version of it. At Nolinor, we love innovating.

How are you leveraging social media as a recruitment and public outreach tool?

We are second on TikTok in the aviation industry, having reached 1 million followers recently. Social media completely redefined our approach to HR. We now receive resumés every week, and in 30 years, we have never seen such a level of fandom from folks online. I receive personal emails every week about youngsters writing that their dream job is to work at Nolinor. They follow our account, dream about going up North, flying with our aircrafts, etc. One kid built a LEGO of a 737-200 with thousands of parts and submitted his design to LEGO, and people still vote for it to be reproduced. We spend around C$200,000 per year on social media. The return we get from it is visibility, candidates, leads, and public outreach. Only Ryanair is before us on TikTok, which is crazy!

What are the key milestones for Nolinor in 2023-2024?

We want to create more volume and capacity with the 737-200 for the mining industry. As those aircrafts will be flying for the next two decades, we have been looking for their alternative, as I doubt people are going to pave all the roads in Nunavut. Aviation will stay relevant for mining companies in Québec in the decades ahead.

INTERVIEWS MORE INTERVIEWS

"Our greatest bottleneck in meeting demand is finding and developing quality people."
"Mines require so many more jobs than one first imagines, and demonstrating our value to everyone will encourage more people to enter the sector and have a positive view of the industry."
"We want to be fully aligned with the national mining goals, with KGHM I endorsing the government’s proposal to add copper to the critical minerals list."
“Contamos con décadas de experiencia internacional en construcción de túneles, lo que nos ha permitido enfrentar con éxito condiciones geológicas exigentes.”

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Québec and Atlantic Canada Mining 2025

Québec and Atlantic Canada have traversed 2025 in an enviable position. Strong gold prices have buoyed balance sheets and investor sentiment, while global demand for critical minerals keeps the region firmly on the radar of international markets. At the same time, the provinces’ depth of mining expertise – from AI-driven exploration to advanced drilling, blasting, and geophysics – ensures that technological advantage is firmly on their side.

MORE PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED

MACIG

"We are seeing the development of new projects and much more greenfield exploration in Africa, which is also accelerating its adoption of advanced technologies, with customers increasingly seeking digital solutions."

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER