Ben Ryan | Air North, Northern Access & Indigenous Tourism (AIIS Ep. 4)

In this episode of the Arctic Indigenous Investment Series, host Blair Hogan sits down with Ben Ryan, Chief Commercial Officer of Air North, Yukon’s Airline, board member with Chieftain Energy, Chair of the Tourism Industry Association of the Yukon, and board member with Destination Canada.The conversation explores the systems that shape northern economic development: air access, fuel logistics, tourism, infrastructure, local ownership, Indigenous partnership, and long-term community resilience.Ben shares his path from growing up in Whitehorse and working throughout Air North, to studying at Carleton and Oxford, and returning home to help lead one of the Yukon’s most important companies. He reflects on Air North’s evolution, its partnership with Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, the role of Yukon shareholders, and what it takes to prepare the airline for the next 50 years.Blair and Ben also discuss Chieftain Energy, fuel supply chains, the cost of operating in the North, and how strategic partnerships can help build resilience. The episode then moves into Yukon tourism, Indigenous tourism, sport tourism, cultural experiences, youth opportunity, and the importance of building economic systems that remain rooted in community.At its core, this episode is about access — to travel, markets, culture, investment, and opportunity — and how northern businesses can grow in a way that reflects place, partnership, and long-term benefit.Presented by the Yukon First Nation Chamber of Commerce.