Liberals catch late flight from Air Inuit

Ottawa Sun Sept 6

When the federal election is called tomorrow, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion will hit the campaign trail aboard the only jet owned by Air Inuit -- when it is ready to fly. Liberal officials confirmed last night they were only able to get a plane in the past week, and that it's still being "fitted up" for the Dion campaign. It is not expected to be airborne before Wednesday afternoon. The Conservatives and NDP have long-standing deals with Air Canada to guarantee campaign planes would be available on short notice. But as Prime Minister Stephen Harper and NDP Leader Jack Layton cross the country on Air Canada Airbus 319s, the Liberal campaign team will be depending on Air Inuit's Boeing 737.

The 737 is the only jet-propelled aircraft in Air Inuit's fleet; all of its other planes are twin propeller cargo or short-haul passenger planes leaving little room for alternative plans should the airline's only jet have a breakdown. Rumours have been swirling for days that Dion would not have a campaign plane when the election writ is dropped tomorrow morning. Liberal officials confirmed late last night that Dion will be travelling by bus for the first four days of the campaign before boarding the jetliner. But a party spokesman says that was always part of the plan: "We strategically picked the ridings we are going to go into and it doesn't require a plane right off the bat," said Joseph Mayer."We will have a full-scale campaign and we will be able to go right across the country with our plane."