Travel between two territorial capital cities and the nation's capital could get a whole lot easier in the new year.

On Thursday, Air North announced plans to add Yellowknife and Ottawa to its routes out of Whitehorse.

"There is a sizable market going east,” Air North president Joe Sparling said in an interview this morning.

Full details haven't been determined, but Sparling said the company is envisioning service that would run twice a week from Whitehorse to Yellowknife – stopping to refuel and let passengers on or off – before flying on to Ottawa.

It would take an hour and 35 minutes to fly to Yellowknife, followed by a 40 minute layover stop before the four hour and 25 minute flight to Ottawa.

It's expected that would cut about an hour off of flights currently available from Whitehorse to Ottawa through other airlines which also require passengers to transfer aircraft.

This would mark the airline's first foray east beyond Alberta and the first time in three years for regular flight service between Whitehorse and Yellowknife.

The two territorial cities have never been connected by a Boeing 737 jet which Air North is planning to use.

"We've heard from many passengers who were frustrated by the lack of a direct flight between Whitehorse and Yellowknife,” Allan Moore, Air North's director of commercial development and government relations, said in a statement Thursday.

"We will be offering a quick, convenient and extremely affordable flight.”

Sparling emphasized the proposal is part of Air North's plan to retain its place in the market.

Over the summer, Air North, Air Canada and WestJet were flying from Whitehorse to Vancouver (in addition to Air North's Calgary/Edmonton route).

Air North has been working to offer other destinations as well.

It is now also offering connectons to Kelowna as part of some of the Vancouver flights.

It also signed an agreement with Condor Airlines to make it easier for Condor passengers coming into Vancouver, Calgary or Edmonton to fly to Whitehorse via Air North.

"We need to be strong in this market,” Sparling said, noting he's found Air North has been impeded in the past by not flying beyond Vancouver, Calgary or Edmonton.

While a number of Yukoners travel to various cities in the east, Sparling said Ottawa was chosen as Air North's eastern destination, in part, for the federal traffic traveling among the three capital cities of Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Ottawa.

He emphasized the airline's focus continues to be on the Yukon.

"Our investment in employment and infrastructure in the Yukon requires that we maintain our position as the number one provider of air transportation in this market,” he said

"Our new service will bring at least 10 new, permanent full-time jobs to the Yukon, and it will help to ensure that dollars spent for travel to and from eastern Canada remain in the North, or flow to the North.”

While there's no firm schedule in place yet, Sparling said service will begin in the first quarter of 2014.

The full schedule and introductory fares will be announced once regulatory and logistical "hurdles have been overcome.”