Cheap flights from Fort Simpson to Yellowknife

Called "Liidli Kue" by the local Dene people, Fort Simpson is a small village in the vast Arctic region of Canada known as the Northwest Territories. The area here is pristine, with few human settlements, and scenic, with the Mackenzie Mountains and the Nahanni National Park Reserve making up an idyllic wilderness landscape. Bring the kayak or the snowmobile, but don't forget the camera either. Tourists who can brave the winter cold can see some spectacular sights that exist nowhere else, like the Midnight Sun and the Northern Lights. Summers are times of wildflowers and caribou migration.

Regional flights in the Arctic are notoriously expensive, rather shocking if you're accustomed to the low-cost carriers of Asia or Europe. The best you can do is book a flight as far in advance as possible. If you're looking for basic amenities, you can find them here, but access is limited depending on the hour and season. For duty-free shopping or other services like currency exchange, you may have to wait until you reach Yellowknife.

Flying out of Fort Simpson

At least you won't have any trouble finding your departure gate. You may be transferring from a ski or float plane at the Yellowknife Water Aerodrome nearby,  but flights to Yellowknife from Fort Simpson always leave from YFS, the main airport.

• Fort Simpson Airport (YFS). The adjacent runway is the first indication that this humble little tan building, which looks more like a private home than an airport terminal, is the city's major commercial airport.
• Fort Simpson Island Airport (CET4). This airport is only used for private charter flights and emergency landings.
• Fort Simpson Island Water Aerodrome (CEZ7). An airport that hosts float-plane traffic on the Mackenzie River between May and October.

Private charters and eco-tourism packages that include ground and air transportation are common in this region, and you may be enjoying your time in the territories on a similar trip. If not, bear in mind that there is little public transportation in the area, so make your travel plans in advance.

Airlines that Fly from Fort Simpson to Yellowknife

The only two commercial airlines that regularly service this airport are regional, so save the heavy paperwork and customs details for Yellowknife Airport (YZF).

• Air Tindi flies on this route depending on local and seasonal demand.
• First Air conducts one regular flight between YFS and YZF almost daily regardless of the season.

Even if it's not the dead of winter, the lack of even the most basic transportation infrastructure in this region can make taking a flight inevitable. Spring and fall are the most precarious times to travel, as thaws or sudden freezing can disrupt ground transportation that has to cross or land on the Mackenzie River.

Yellowknife Airport Information

The airport in Yellowknife is an interesting mix of small town and big city. The airlines here are a mix of national and global carriers along with small, local companies. Air Canada and Westjet both connect with bigger southern cities from here. As in the past, The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has a strong presence in Canada's North and maintains its own hangar here for official Mountie aircraft. In a reflection of more modern times, this airport is significant enough to be used as a NORAD base and is also considered a point of entry by Nav Canada, and therefore is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Your flight from nearby Fort Smith won't require any paperwork at the border or customs declarations, so you are free to move to your connecting flight or into the scenic town of Yellowknife.