Air North will begin twice-weekly Boeing 737 flights between Whitehorse and Victoria beginning in May 18, 2018.

The airline made the announcement Thursday afternoon.

Special introductory fares starting from $173 one-way from Whitehorse to Victoria and $188 from Victoria to Whitehorse are available for a limited period of time.

For a number of years, Air North has been providing Yukoners with direct access to Victoria on its Thanksgiving weekend charter and other, one-off flights.

The addition of Victoria to its regular schedule reflects the strong demand Yukoners have shown for the destination, the airline said.

“Yukoners have been telling us for some time that they would like to see a stop in Victoria, and we think that the time is right to test the market by combining a stop in Victoria with our regular twice-weekly Kelowna service,” said president and CEO Joe Sparling.

“This modification to our routes reinforces our commitment to provide Yukoners with the best possible air travel network.”

“The growth of Air North, ‘Yukon’s Airline,’ is a great example of the continued commitment by Yukoners, including the Vuntut Gwitchin, to build local prosperity,” said Greg Charlie, the director for the Vuntut Development Corp. and an Air North board member.

“We are pleased that northerners now have another great destination to choose from when travelling south, and invite our friends from Victoria and other Vancouver Island communities to come north to the Yukon.”

The route expansion follows the launch of scheduled service to Kelowna in 2013 and Yellowknife and Ottawa in 2014.

“We welcome the new service between Whitehorse and Victoria,” said Geoff Dickson, the president and CEO of the Victoria Airport Authority.

“The team at Air North have developed a great schedule and an opportunity for Vancouver Islanders to explore the Yukon, and for visitors to Victoria to experience all that it has to offer.

“We look forward to the success of this exciting new route. Victoria International Airport recognizes that the airlines have choices where they schedule their aircraft, and the decision to serve these markets is greatly appreciated.”

The inaugural Victoria schedule will have Monday and Friday afternoon departures from Whitehorse. Friday’s flight will be direct to Victoria, returning to Whitehorse via Kelowna.

Monday’s flight will see a brief stop in Kelowna for Victoria-bound passengers with direct return service to Whitehorse.

“We are delighted that Air North is making it easier for people to travel between Whitehorse and Victoria,” said Paul Nursey, president and CEO of Tourism Victoria.

“Our destination is known for having the mildest climate in Canada year-round, and we invite northerners to see there is so much more to Victoria than just great weather.

“These flights also offer a great opportunity for Asian travellers who dream of seeing the Northern Lights to add Victoria to their itineraries.”

Travellers can start booking the new route immediately.

Founded in 1977, Air North serves 11 Canadian destinations, including Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Dawson City, Old Crow, Inuvik, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Kelowna, Victoria and Ottawa.

It operates five Boeing 737 jets and five turboprop aircraft, including two ATR-42s and three Hawker-Siddeley 748s.

It was named North America’s most-loved airline in 2016 by Fortune Magazine.