- Harbour air at Vancouver Harbour
- The vertical stabilizer of a Harbour Air DHC-2
- Harbour Air aircraft, Vancouver
- Harbour air ebeaver in Ganges Harbour
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Harbour Air plane 2023 | |||||||
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Founded | 1982 | ||||||
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AOC # | Canada: 4001 [a] [3] Tantalus Air: 17401 [4] United States: 1H6F426F [5] | ||||||
Hubs | Vancouver Harbour Vancouver International | ||||||
Secondary hubs | Victoria Inner Harbour Nanaimo Harbour | ||||||
Focus cities | Vancouver, Richmond, Victoria, Nanaimo, Sechelt, Comox, Whistler, Gulf Islands | ||||||
Frequent-flyer program | High Flyer Rewards, Air Bucks Program, Quickticket Discounts | ||||||
Fleet size | 40, [6] 43 [7] | ||||||
Destinations | 18 [8] | ||||||
Headquarters | Richmond, British Columbia | ||||||
Key people | Greg McDougall, Chairman Bert van der Stege, CEO Burt Wright, Chief Pilot | ||||||
Website | harbourair |
Harbour Air Seaplanes is a scheduled floatplane service, tour and charter airline based in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. The predominantly seaplane airline specializes in routes between Vancouver, Nanaimo, Victoria, Sechelt, Comox, Whistler and the Gulf Islands, primarily with de Havilland Canada floatplanes. Harbour Air operates de Havilland Beavers, Otters and Twin Otters.
The airline was established and started operations in 1982 as Windoak Air Service to provide seaplane charter services for the forestry industry in British Columbia. In 1993, Harbour Air purchased Trans-Provincial Airlines, added charter flights to resorts, and increased scheduled services. Today, Harbour Air refers to itself as the world's largest all-seaplane airline and became North America's first carbon neutral airline. [9] A small subsidiary, Harbour Air Malta, was set up in June 2007 and a DHC-3 Turbo Otter floatplane is permanently based in Valletta, Malta for scheduled flights to Gozo and sightseeing trips around the islands. [10] Harbour Air Magazine is the official in-flight magazine of Harbour Air. [11]
In 2007, Harbour Air became the first airline in North America to achieve complete carbon neutrality in both flight services and corporate operations. Teamed up with Vancouver-based Offsetters, the airline started to include a carbon offset on each ticket used to mitigate the environmental impact of the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG's) associated with the flight. The funds are invested in renewable energy projects. [12]
On February 16, 2010, Deloitte Canada announced that Harbour Air was a winner of a 2009 Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies Award. [13] This national award is sponsored by Deloitte, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, National Post and Smith School of Business.
On March 31, 2010, Harbour Air completed the acquisition of West Coast Air and consolidated their terminal services. [14]
On May 20, 2011, Harbour Air grounded its service from Victoria Harbour to Langley Regional Airport due to low passenger numbers and fuel price surges. [15]
On May 9, 2012, Harbour Air purchased Whistler Air. [16]
In September 2013, Harbour Air launched a land-based charter carrier, Tantalus Air, which operate one Cessna 182 Skylane as ICAO airline designator TTU, and telephony TANTALUS. [17] [18] [19] [20]
In November 2015, Salt Spring Air was purchased by the Harbour Air Group. Salt Spring Air's fleet now joins Harbour Air, West Coast Air and Whistler Air and now claims to be largest seaplane airline in the world. [21]
Harbour Air and Kenmore Air started a new seaplane service between Downtown Vancouver, and Downtown Seattle on April 26, 2018,
In March 2019, Harbour Air announced a partnership with magniX to electrify the entire Harbour Air fleet over the long term. [22] Harbour Air has noted that its initial electric-powered commercial flights will be on routes of under 30 minutes' duration. [23] The first converted aircraft was a DHC-2 Beaver which serves as the test prototype for the magniX motor, energy storage, and control systems. [22] The prototype flew for the first time on December 10, 2019. [24] [25] The company hopes to have the aircraft certified for commercial use by 2021. [26] [27]
In March 2019, Harbour Air announced plans to convert an aircraft to run on electricity, which would serve as a test prototype during a two-year duration regulatory approval process, and eventually hopes to convert its entire fleet to electric propulsion. The first plane to be converted is a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver. [28]
The electric prototype made its first flight over 4 minutes off the Fraser River near Vancouver on December 10, 2019. The Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior piston engine of the six-passenger ePlane is replaced by a 560 kW (750 hp), 135 kg (298 lb) magni500, with swappable batteries allowing 30 min flights plus 30 min of reserve power. Harbour Air wants to convert all its 34 aircraft, including Beavers and Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-powered Otters and Twin Otters. [29]
The plane completed its first point-to-point flight, from Vancouver to Victoria Airport Water Aerodrome near Sidney on Vancouver Island, on August 18, 2022, travelling 72 km (45 mi) in 24 minutes. [30] The aircraft was displayed at the British Columbia Aviation Museum open house on August 20.
Harbour Air has won the following awards: [31] [ non-primary source needed ]
As of February 2021, Harbour Air serves the following destinations (some destinations are seasonal): [8]
As of February 2023, the Harbour Air fleet consisted of 40 aircraft and 43 registered with Transport Canada: [6] [7] [18]
Aircraft | No. of aircraft (HA list) [6] | No. of aircraft (TC list [7] ) | Passengers | Variants | Notes |
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Cessna 172 | — | 1 | 3 | 172M | Not listed at Harbour Air website |
Cessna 180 Skywagon | — | 1 | — | 180J | Not listed at Harbour Air website |
Cessna 182 Skylane | — | 1 | 3 | 182P Skylane | Operated by Tantalus Air and still registered to them |
Cessna 208 Caravan | 2 | 2 | 9 | 208B Grand Caravan EX | |
de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver | 14 | 14 | 6 | DHC-2 MK. I | On December 10, 2019, the eBeaver flew for the first time, powered by a Magni500 |
de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter | 22 | 21 | 14 | — | |
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter | 3 | 4 | 19 | Series 200, Series 300 | |
Total | 40 | 44 |
1 AOC number is used for Harbour Air Seaplanes, Whistler Air, Salt Spring Air and West Coast Air.
Widerøes Flyveselskap AS, trading as Widerøe, is a Norwegian airline, and is the largest regional airline operating in the Nordic countries. The airline's fleet of 44 Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft, with three more on order, and 3 Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, serves over 40 domestic and international destinations. Widerøe has a turnover of 3.5 billion kr; carries 2.8 million annual passengers; has 3,500 employees and performs 450 take-offs and landings each day. Public service obligation services to regional airports make up slightly less than half of Widerøe's operations. The remaining services are to primary airports in Northern Norway, and services from Sandefjord Airport, Torp and Bergen Airport, Flesland to other primary airports, and some international services from Oslo/Gardermoen, Sandefjord/Torp, Kristiansand/Kjevik, Stavanger/Sola, Bergen/Flesland and Trondheim/Værnes.
Tofino Air is a small Canadian airline offering floatplane service from Tofino, British Columbia. It offers scheduled services, scenic tours, and specialized charters.
The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada in the mid-1960s and still in production today. De Havilland Canada produced it from 1965 to 1988; Viking Air purchased the type certificate, then restarted production in 2008 before re-adopting the DHC name in 2022. In 2023 DHC restarted production of the 300 series, in addition to the Series 400 produced by Viking. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL capabilities, twin turboprop engines and high rate of climb have made it a successful commuter airliner, typically seating 18–20 passengers, as well as a cargo and medical evacuation aircraft. In addition, the Twin Otter has been popular with commercial skydiving operations, and is used by the United States Army Parachute Team and the 98th Flying Training Squadron of the United States Air Force.
The de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter is a single-engined, high-wing, propeller-driven, short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada. It was conceived to be capable of performing the same roles as the earlier and highly successful Beaver, including as a bush plane, but is overall a larger aircraft.
Golden West Airlines was a commuter airline that operated flights on a high volume schedule in California. It ceased operations in 1983.
The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined high-wing propeller-driven short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft developed and manufactured by de Havilland Canada. It has been primarily operated as a bush plane and has been used for a wide variety of utility roles, such as cargo and passenger hauling, aerial application, and civil aviation duties.
Eastern Provincial Airways (EPA) was an airline that operated in Atlantic and eastern Canada. At its peak, the carrier operated jet service with Boeing 737-200 aircraft connecting many communities that today only have scheduled passenger flights provided by 18-seat commuter turboprop aircraft. The airline traces its history from Maritime Central Airways (MCA) from 1961. It merged with CP Air to form Canadian Pacific Air Lines in 1986.
West Coast Air was a Canadian scheduled airline operating de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter float planes, which was integrated into Harbour Air Seaplanes.
Kenmore Air Harbor, Inc., doing business as Kenmore Air, is an American airline with its headquarters on the grounds of Kenmore Air Harbor in Kenmore, Washington, United States, north of Seattle. It operates scheduled and charter seaplane and landplane service to destinations throughout western Washington and southwestern British Columbia, as well as seaplane "flightseeing" flights around Seattle. In addition to its corporate headquarters, seaplane maintenance facility and terminal in Kenmore, the airline has hub operations in Seattle for seaplanes at Lake Union Seaplane Base and for land-based airplanes at Boeing Field. It also operates a maintenance facility for its airplane fleet at Boeing Field.
Air Saguenay was a regional airline based in Jonquière, Quebec, Canada.
Baxter Aviation was an airline based in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, founded by Tom and Linda Baxter which operated scheduled and chartered services throughout the Pacific Northwest with DHC-2 Beaver float-equipped aircraft. In 2007, Baxter Aviation was taken over by West Coast Air.
The Vancouver Harbour Air Control Tower, which serves Vancouver Harbour Water Airport (CYHC), is placed on top of the 142 m (466 ft) skyscraper Granville Square in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Built in 1973 it remains the highest air traffic control tower in the world, in the city with one of the world's highest levels of seaplane activity.
Viking Air Ltd. is an operator and manufacturer of aircraft, as well as aircraft parts and systems, based at Victoria International Airport in North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The company provides upgrades to the DHC-2 Beaver, spare parts for older de Havilland Canada aircraft, and components for Bell Helicopter Textron. The company is a subsidiary of De Havilland Canada.
Northern Thunderbird Air Inc or NT Air is a Canadian charter airline and medevac service based in Prince George, British Columbia.
Salt Spring Air part of Harbour Air Seaplanes, was a floatplane company based on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada. It operates scheduled flights, charter air service and tours based in Ganges in Harbour Air Seaplanes livery with the Salt Spring Air name on the side of the aircraft and specializes in routes between the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island. Along with West Coast Air, Harbour Air and Seair Seaplanes, Salt Spring Air is one of the four airlines that operate in the Vancouver Harbour Water Airport and Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre. Scheduled flights by the company also operate between the Gulf Islands and the Vancouver International Airport.
Taquan Air is the operating name for Venture Travel, LLC, an American regional airline headquartered in Ketchikan, a city in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska. It operates domestic scheduled passenger and charter services. Its base is Ketchikan Harbor Seaplane Base, which shares the same harbor and airspace as Ketchikan International Airport. As per the United States Department of Transportation in a report dated August 2, 2010, Taquan Air is a "U.S. Certificated Air Carrier", and is 1 of 125 such carriers in the US.
Seair Seaplanes is a scheduled and charter airline based in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. The airline flies routes between the Vancouver International Water Airport and the Nanaimo Harbour Water Airport, as well as other Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia, exclusively with float planes.
Seabird Airlines was an airline operating scheduled seaplane services in Istanbul, Turkey, and the surrounding area. Its main base was at Haliç on the Golden Horn. It was the only floatplane operator in Turkey. It also operated sightseeing flights over Istanbul.
magniX is an electric motor manufacturer for electric aircraft, wholly owned by Singapore investor Clermont Group. The company is headquartered in Everett, Washington, United States.
On May 13, 2019, a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver floatplane operated by Mountain Air Service collided with a Taquan Air de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Turbine Otter floatplane over George Inlet, Alaska, United States. The DHC-2 broke up in mid-air with the loss of all four passengers and the pilot. The DHC-3 pilot was able to maintain partial control, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage in the collision and the subsequent forced landing; the pilot suffered minor injuries, nine passengers suffered serious injuries, and one passenger was killed. Both aircraft were conducting sightseeing flights under visual flight rules, which state that the pilot of each aircraft is responsible for visually ensuring adequate separation from other air traffic, commonly known as "see and avoid".
Harbour Air: HR, HARBOUR EXPRESS
Tantalus Air: TTU, TANTALUS