Canadian North Care Program
We understand that you may have questions about changes to our service and what steps we are taking to protect the health and safety of all our customers. Your safety is our first priority at all times, from the moment you check in to when you arrive at your destination or when you ship cargo with us. Our CN Care program and CN Care kits focus on providing you peace of mind when using our services, knowing that we have taken all the steps to ensure a safe and clean flying and cargo experience is waiting for you.
Flying Safely with Canadian North during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Your questions about the safety of essential travel
Where instructed by Public Health Authorities, including on flights to/from/within Nunavut, Canadian North ensures that passengers are seated together based on their departure points. For example, passengers from isolation hubs are seated separately from essential workers who may not have passed through isolation hubs.
We are maintaining regular passenger capacity to bring more customers to the people and places that matter to you. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the layered risk mitigation in place during flights makes being seated in a full row of passengers equivalent to being 7 feet apart from others in an indoor space. Learn more about their research here.
In the context of the COVID-19 virus, these are all of the additional steps taken to keep passengers and employees safe. Many of the steps that affect you directly are outlined in our Canadian North Care tabs on this page. You’ll learn more about how we’re reducing the risk of transmission on-board on this page and in the other tabs.
The risk mitigation factors in place during flights include the downward airflow in a pressurized aircraft, the constant entry of fresh air into the cabin, the separation of passenger rows provided by seats, and your best personal protection; your mask.
Flying in a full row of passengers with mitigations is equivalent to being 7 feet apart in an indoor space. Learn more about how layered risk mitigation works in-flight on the IATA website.
Anyone who has recently tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and has not been officially cleared of the virus will not be admitted on our flights. Although we cannot guarantee that no one is carrying the virus, we conduct mandatory health checks with each passenger as directed by Transport Canada to reduce the risk of transmission and are following Territorial Government policies. Learn more about the additional layers mandated by northern regions here.
“With just 44 published cases of potential inflight COVID-19 transmission among 1.2 billion travelers [in 2020], the risk of contracting the virus on board appears to be in the same category as being struck by lightning,” said Alexandre de Juniac, Director General and CEO of IATA.
Canadian North follows all of the recommended steps to keep employees and passengers safe.
We provide all of our passengers with CN Care kits that include a mask, sanitizing gel, and sanitizing wipes to help you better control your own safety and reduce risks to your health. We recommend:
- Wiping the high-touch surfaces that were sanitized before your flight between uses
- Removing your mask only for short periods of time to sip water or have a snack
- Bringing snacks you won’t need to touch with your fingers or utensils for those snacks (in-flight service is reduced to water bottle service only)
- Employing any other measures recommended by health officials that you’d take during your everyday activities
The same layered risk mitigation recommendations apply to reducing the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.
Yes. According to a Coronavirus study from Harvard University, mandatory face mask requirements are perhaps the most essential layer of a comprehensive set of measures to reduce transmission of these airborne viruses throughout air travel.
We sanitize high-touch surfaces with hospital-preferred disinfectant cleaners on every leg of the journey (every time passengers board and deplane, including flights with multiple stops and between each flight). At the end of each flight day, aircraft interiors are fogged with an electrostatic spray and groomed by professional cleaners.

1. Face masks for customers
All customers are responsible to bring and must wear a non-medical mask or face-covering throughout the entire journey.
2. Baggage stations
Baggage stations, where checked bags are received and weighed, are being wiped down and sanitized throughout the day.
3. Face masks for employees + Plexiglass
All of our employees serving customers wear face coverings and/or work behind Plexiglass where possible.4. Check-in counters
Check-in counters are being wiped down and sanitized frequently throughout the day.5. Hand sanitizer
Hand sanitizer gel dispensers have been added to our counters where possible.
1. Face masks for customers
All customers are responsible to bring and must wear a non-medical mask or face-covering throughout the entire journey.2. Hand sanitizer
Hand sanitizer gel dispensers have been added to our counters where possible.3. Additional cleaning + gate counters
Cleaning supplies have been added at the counter for agents to spot clean throughout the day.4. Face masks for employees + Plexiglass
All of our employees serving customers wear face coverings and/or work behind Plexiglass where possible.5. Boarding process
To minimize your contact with other customers and to avoid lineups at the gate, boarding rows will be called by the gate agent with a boarding process according to aircraft type. Boarding is now limited to 10 customers at a time.

1. Face masks for customers
All customers are responsible to bring and must wear a non-medical mask or face-covering throughout the entire journey.2. Seatbelts
For your safety, all seat belt buckles and seat controls are sanitized inside and out.3. Windows
We’re sanitizing cabin windows and shades to help you enjoy the fantastic Northern view.4. Overhead bins
All overhead bin handles are sanitized.5. Air filtration
You can fly confidently knowing our Boeing Jet fleet is equipped with HEPA filtration systems which capture 99.9% of airborne particles. All of our aircraft in our fleet continually refreshes cabin air every few minutes during the flight.6. Light switches
Your light switches and air circulation controls are properly sanitized to keep you safe.7. Armrests
All armrests are thoroughly wiped down and sanitized.8. Face masks for employees
All our employees wear face coverings.9. Lavatories
Lavatories are extensively cleaned and sanitized.
1. Reducing touchpoints + PPE CN Care kits
All non-essential items, such as our inflight magazine Above&Beyond, have been removed. For your convenience, we are providing our customers with our CN Care kits which include disposable masks, gloves, sanitizing gel and sanitizing wipes.2. Tray tables
All tray tables are thoroughly wiped down and sanitized.3. Continuous cleaning
Sanitizing wipes and gel packs are available on board for your use, and our crews are supplied with wipes to keep galleys, equipment, lavatories, and the flight deck clean.4. Food and beverage options
Please read our latest news release regarding meal service for details on modified in-flight offerings and which flights have meal service. Due to the impacts of COVID-19 on travel, we cannot offer modified meals at this time. You are still welcome to bring CATSA-compliant food on board. Our galleys also have necessary supplies for diabetic emergencies.
5. Sidewalls
We’re wiping down sidewalls for your peace of mind each time an aircraft overnights.