Global Airport News

First Air and Nunavut's premier are praising the Canadian military's rapid response to this weekend's plane crash near Resolute Bay, which killed 12 people and seriously injured three others.

Flight 6560 was travelling from Yellowknife to Resolute with 15 people on board, including four crew members, when the Boeing 737-200 went down mid-Saturday near the remote Arctic community.

RCMP in Nunavut confirmed on Sunday the three survivors are listed in stable condition in hospitals in Iqaluit and Ottawa. The airline announced Sunday all of the flight's crew were among the fatalities but did not release names of the victims. Premier Eva Aariak said the military's response was "very, very critical" to the rescue of the survivors, given the territory's often extreme conditions.

"We were lucky to have military exercise team already up in Resolute Bay to help respond to the incident," she said of the Canadian Forces personnel, who were already participating in the annual Arctic military exercise Operation Nanook and responded to the crash on Saturday.

Prime Minister Harper will visit Resolute Bay on Tuesday, where he will meet with community members and first responders involved in rescue and recovery efforts for First Air Flight 6560.

"Our thoughts and prayers remain with those affected by Saturday's tragic plane crash," Harper said in a statement Sunday.

"Thanks to the herculean efforts of first responders, including members of the Canadian Armed Forces, lives were saved that otherwise might have been lost."

Harper will also stop in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and Yukon as part of his annual tour of the north