Wasaya to launch helicopter service

When northerners look way up in the sky in the next few months, there could be something besides birds and planes in the air.
Wasaya Group Inc. (WGI) plans to launch a helicopter service and have it operational by February, WGI president and CEO Tom Kamenawatemin said Dec. 3.
Wasaya was set to fully announce its partners in the joint venture during a press conference in its Fort William First Nation office boardroom but issues, which weren’t fully disclosed, arose prompting questions.
“One of the partners was not available,” Kamenawatemin said.
A press release distributed before the news conference listed original Wasaya Airways LP partner Frank Kelner as a partner in the helicopter business.
Kamenawatemin was coy about whether Kelner would remain involved.
When pressed on who the partners were, he said: “I’m not at liberty to discuss the partners. Details of the agreement won’t be available until the end of January. Our lawyers are continuing to work on the legal documents.”
Regardless of the details, Kamenawatemin is excited about what bringing helicopters into the Wasaya fold will mean.
They will be available for use in the mining, construction, geophysical, environmental and tourism industries.
“Remote communities sometimes require emergency help,” Kamenawatemin said, indicating the units could be used for search and rescue operations if necessary.
When the business launches in February, it will start with one chopper. Two others will join the fleet shortly after the launch, he said, making the enterprise a multi-million dollar operation.