In September 2018, Iskwew Air CEO Teara Fraser made history by announcing plans to launch the first Indigenous woman-owned airline in Canada. On a global-scale, women are drastically under-represented in aviation, comprising less than 6% of pilots and even fewer holding positions as airline CEOs. Teara Fraser and Iskwew Air look to break that trend, encouraging women to succeed in aviation.

As a proud Métis woman, it was important to Fraser to seek the blessing and permission of the Musqueam Nation to operate Iskwew Air on their traditional territories. The celebration event on began with a blessing ceremony performed by xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) representatives followed by media availability.

Aimed at serving remote and Indigenous communities across British Columbia, Iskwew Air also seeks to empower Indigenous peoples to pursue careers in aviation. Iskwew Air will commence service on March 8, 2019 – International Women’s Day.

Munro/Thompson was moved by Fraser’s story, and inspired to help amplify the Iskwew Air launch announcement by providing media and public relations support. This included the development of a full media relations strategy to coincide with the blessing ceremony and the airline’s first media availability. The goal of this campaign was to not only inform the public of Canada’s newest airline, but to share the important and inspiring story of an Indigenous woman breaking ground in an industry where women are drastically under-represented.

The Iskwew Air launch announcement was a resounding success, garnering 43 pieces of positive news coverage across Canadian and international outlets. Key coverage included CBC, CTV, HuffPost Canada, Yahoo! News, and the Star Vancouver. This media campaign successfully positioned Fraser as a leader and pioneer in the Canadian aviation industry, and brought awareness to Iskwew Air’s March 2019 launch.