I doubt that because, with a handful of passengers getting off down steps on the left, the airfreight and mail that was equally a key part of these far north flights, if not more so, would be getting unloaded on the right, through the hatches just ahead of the props and just behind their exhausts.
Hold hatches on right
http://www.airliners.net/photo/UK---...f21e33d1dfcb34
Not on left
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Trans...f21e33d1dfcb34