Harbour Air

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Harbour Air Seaplanes
HarbourAirSeaplanesheader logo.png
Khidroavion u Vankuveru 2023 godine 04 09 2023 Dragan Tsvetkovitsh.JPG
Harbour Air plane 2023
IATA CDD Call sign
YB [1] HR [2] HARBOUR EXPRESS [2]
Founded1982
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 size42, [6] 43 [7]
Destinations18 [8]
Headquarters Richmond, British Columbia
Key peopleGreg McDougall, Chairman
Bert van der Stege, CEO
Burt Wright, Chief Pilot
Website harbourair.com

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.

Contents

History

Take off from Victoria Harbor, British Columbia Panoramic view of the archipelago of Victoria 01.jpg
Take off from Victoria Harbor, British Columbia
Harbour Air floatplane at Victoria's Inner Harbour Airport Harbour Air floatplane at Victoria's Inner Harbour Airport.jpg
Harbour Air floatplane at Victoria's Inner Harbour Airport
A Harbour Air De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver in Richmond in June 2006 Dhc-2 c-fosp.jpg
A Harbour Air De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver in Richmond in June 2006

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 operated 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]

Electric aviation

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 hoped to convert its entire fleet to electric propulsion. The first plane to be converted was 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 was replaced by a 560 kW (750 hp), 135 kg (298 lb) magni500, with swappable batteries allowing 30 minute flights plus 30 minutes of reserve power. Harbour Air wants to convert all its aircraft, including Beavers and Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-powered Otters and Twin Otters. [29] [ needs update ]

Three years later, the plane completed its first point-to-point test 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 the same year.[ citation needed ]

Awards and accolades

Seaplane taking off, Middle Harbour, Victoria, British Columbia Victoria, BC - seaplane taking off 01 (20551034882).jpg
Seaplane taking off, Middle Harbour, Victoria, British Columbia

Harbour Air has won the following awards: [31] [ non-primary source needed ]

Destinations

As of January 2025, Harbour Air serves the following destinations (some destinations are seasonal): [8]

CountryProvince / stateCityAirportNotes
Canada British Columbia Comox Comox Water Aerodrome
Nanaimo Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome Nanaimo Harbour
Patricia Bay Victoria Airport Water Aerodrome Northeast of Victoria International Airport
Powell River Powell Lake Water Aerodrome
Richmond Vancouver International Water Airport Adjacent to the South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport
Salt Spring Island Ganges Water Aerodrome At Ganges
Sechelt Sechelt/Porpoise Bay Water Aerodrome On the Sunshine Coast, at the Lighthouse Pub
Tofino Tofino Harbour Water Aerodrome
Vancouver Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre Located in Burrard Inlet and sometimes known as Vancouver Harbour Water Aerodrome or Vancouver Coal Harbour Seaplane Base
Vancouver International Airport At the South Terminal, 5 km (3.1 mi) from the Main Terminal
Victoria Victoria Inner Harbour Airport At Inner Harbour
Victoria International Airport
Whistler Whistler/Green Lake Water Aerodrome
United States Washington Seattle Seattle Lake Union Seaplane Base

Fleet

As of January 2025, the Harbour Air fleet consisted of 41 aircraft and 43 registered with Transport Canada: [6] [7] [32]

Harbour Air Fleet
AircraftNo. of aircraft
(HA list) [6] 		No. of aircraft
(TC list [7] )		PassengersVariantsNotes
Cessna 172 —13 172M Not listed at Harbour Air website
Cessna 180 Skywagon —1— 180J Not listed at Harbour Air website
Cessna 208 Caravan 229 208B Grand Caravan EX
de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver 14146DHC-2 MK. IOn December 10, 2019, the eBeaver flew for the first time, powered by a Magni500
de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter 222114—
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 4419 Series 200, Series 300
Total4143

Accidents and incidents

On August 4, 1998, a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver, registration C-FOCJ, overturned after landing near Ging̱olx, at Kincolith Water Aerodrome. On the fourth approach, the floatplane touched down, apparently in a controlled manner, and skipped on the water surface. The floats then dug into the water followed by the right wing, which was severed from the fuselage on water impact. The aircraft quickly overturned. All five aboard drowned. [33]

On June 8, 2024, a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver (same airframe rebuilt from the 1998 crash), registration C-FFHA collided with a boat upon takeoff at Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre. [34] [35]

See also

Explanatory notes

1 AOC number is used for Harbour Air Seaplanes, Whistler Air, Salt Spring Air and West Coast Air.

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References

  1. ↑ "iata.org" . Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Domestic Designator and Telephony Assignments" (PDF). Nav Canada. February 10, 2023. p. 2. Retrieved February 28, 2023. Harbour Air: HR, HARBOUR EXPRESS
  3. ↑ Transport Canada (2019-08-31), Civil Aviation Services (CAS) AOC. wwwapps.tc.gc.ca.
  4. ↑ Transport Canada (2019-08-31), Civil Aviation Services (CAS) AOC. wwwapps.tc.gc.ca.
  5. ↑ "Federal Aviation Administration - Airline Certificate Information - Detail View". av-info.faa.gov. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 "Aircraft Fleet". Archived from the original on December 27, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Quick Search Result for Harbour Air". Transport Canada . Retrieved January 5, 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Locations" . Retrieved January 5, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Harbour Air". www.offsetters.ca. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Corporate". Archived from the original on September 9, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2011.
  11. ↑ "In Flight Magazine". Archived from the original on March 24, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Carbon Neutrality & Responsible Airline Operations". Archived from the original on February 14, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies announced". Archived from the original on June 14, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
  14. ↑ "Fact Sheet". Archived from the original on November 25, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Harbour Air grounds Langley-to-Victoria service". bclocalnews.com. May 6, 2011. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Whistler Air purchased by largest all-seaplane airline, Harbour Air". Peak Magazine. May 10, 2012. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012.
  17. ↑ "ICAO Designators for Canadian Aircraft Operating Agencies, Aeronautical Authorities and Services" (PDF). Nav Canada. May 4, 2023. p. 8. Retrieved February 27, 2023. Tantalus Air: TTU, TANTALUS
  18. ↑ "CCAR - History Search Result - Tantalus Air Ltd". April 28, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
  19. ↑ Spruce, Terry (September 21, 2013). "Harbour Air launches Tantalus Air". Corporate Jet Investigator. Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Tantalus Air". Archived from the original on February 17, 2016.
  21. ↑ Our Story
  22. 1 2 "Harbour Air set to become the first all-electric airline in the world". Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  23. ↑ Alan Boyle (December 3, 2019). "The electric aviation revolution will be televised … by MagniX and Harbour Air". GeekWire .
  24. ↑ Larsen, Karin (December 10, 2019). "All systems go: 1st all-electric seaplane takes flight in B.C." Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
  25. ↑ A small Canadian airline using a 63 year old seaplane is on the forefront of electric-powered flight
  26. ↑ Peters, Adele (December 10, 2019). "This all-electric airplane is flying the first commercial test flight of its kind". Fast Company. Mansueto Ventures LLC.
  27. ↑ Arnot, Mike (December 26, 2019). "Is a 63-Year-Old Seaplane With an Electric Engine the Future of Air Travel?" – via NYTimes.com.
  28. ↑ Bell, Jeff (March 26, 2019). "Harbour Air to add zero-emission electric plane; aims to convert whole fleet". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on March 26, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  29. ↑ Jon Hemmerdinger (December 10, 2019). "Harbour Air flies 'first' all-electric commercial aircraft, a DHC-2 Beaver". FlightGlobal.
  30. ↑ Darron Kloster (August 19, 2022). "Harbour Air's electric plane makes successful test flight". Times Colonist.
  31. ↑ "Awards". Archived from the original on February 14, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Quick Search Result for Tantalus Air". Transport Canada . Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  33. ↑ "ASN Wikibase Occurrence #23454" . Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  34. ↑ "ASN Wikibase Occurrence #389255" . Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  35. ↑ "Seaplane crash in Vancouver's Coal Harbour" . Retrieved June 10, 2024.
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