Teaming up with engineering firm Rockwell Collins, Air Inuit spent three years planning a retrofit of its Dash-8 planes with unique, large freight doors to transport larger cargo. These modifications made crucial large items like ATVs and snowmobiles more accessible to Northerners and allowed whole pallets of fragile items like fruits and vegetables to be easily loaded without extra handling. 

This streamlined operations, protected staff from injury, maintained the integrity of the aircraft and expanded possibilities for northern commerce and transport.

Although it might seem counterintuitive for an airline, Air Inuit stayed true to the needs of the communities it serves by sacrificing a few passenger seats to make space for essential cargo such as mail, milk, vaccines and medicine. 

This modification was made on the Dash-8, which is uniquely adapted to the conditions of the Great North, along with optimizations that allow the planes to better maneuver Nunavik’s short gravel runways.