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 Terminal building of Tofino Air at Tofino Harbour Water Aerodrome | |||||||
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| Founded | 1990s (as Midcoast Air) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AOC # | 4937 [1] | ||||||
| Hubs | Nanaimo Harbour Water Airport, Sechelt Water Aerodrome | ||||||
| Fleet size | 8 [2] | ||||||
| Destinations | 3 [3] | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
Tofino Air is a small Canadian airline offering floatplane service from Tofino, British Columbia. [3] It offers scheduled services, scenic tours, and specialized charters. [3]
In the early 1990s, the owner of Tofino Air, and a lifelong resident of British Columbia's Sunshine Coast, started a small regional airline called Midcoast Air, to better assure safety and dependability for himself and his co-workers as they travelled from the logging and fishing camps on BC's west coast, to their homes on the Sunshine Coast. In 1998, Midcoast Air re-located to Sechelt.
In January 2001, Tofino Air purchased Pacific Spirit Air based in Silva Bay on Gabriola Island. After purchasing Pacific Spirit Air, Tofino Air increased its daily routes by adding in scheduled flights from Gabriola Island to Vancouver International Water Airport. The airline also continued offering daily scheduled flights between Departure Bay in Nanaimo and Sechelt/Porpoise Bay.
In April 2011, Tofino Air moved from its location in Departure Bay to the Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome where it began to offer scheduled flights between Nanaimo and Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre. In late May 2011, Tofino Air was one of the first airlines to move into the new Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre, All flights from Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre have been cancelled and charter flights are conducted at the Vancouver International Water Airport.
In December 2014, Tofino Air started a new subsidiary airline called Gulf Island Seaplanes [4] to service the Gabriola Island Silva Bay to Vancouver International Water Airport using de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver aircraft from Tofino Air.
In August 2015, Tofino Air dropped service from Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome to Sechelt/Porpoise Bay and a new subsidiary airline called Sunshine Coast Air [5] took over all service using de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver aircraft from Tofino Air, while Tofino Air now only offers scenic tours, and specialized charters from Tofino and scheduled flights to Hot Springs Cove and Ahousaht from Tofino.
The Tofino Air website does not list the de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter,. [6] The Tofino Air fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of September 2019): [2]
| Aircraft | No. of aircraft | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 180 Skywagon | 4 | 4 seats | 180J |
| de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver | 3 | 6 seats | DHC2 MK. 1 |
| de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter | 1 | 9-10 seats | DHC-3-T Turbo-Otter |
| Total | 8 | ||
Transport Canada lists two more de Havilland Beavers, both with cancelled registration certificates. [2]
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.
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.
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.
Air BC was a Canadian regional airline headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. It later became part of Air Canada Jazz. This regional airline primarily flew turboprop aircraft but also operated jets as well as an Air Canada Connector carrier on behalf of Air Canada via a code share feeder agreement.
Pacific Coastal Airlines is a Canadian regional airline that operates scheduled, charter and cargo services to destinations in British Columbia. Its head office is located in the South Terminal of Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia. Its main base is Vancouver International Airport.
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 for seaplanes at its terminal on Seattle's Lake Union and for land planes at Seattle's Boeing Field/King County International Airport. It also operates a maintenance facility for its landplane 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.
Sechelt/Porpoise Bay Water Aerodrome(TC LID: CAX3) was an aerodrome located adjacent to Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada. The airport was listed as abandoned in the 15 March 2007 Canada Flight Supplement.
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.
Pacific Island Air is an Air Charter company operating out of Nadi International Airport, Fiji.
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.
Air Whitsunday is a charter airline based in Australia that operates a fleet of seaplanes. The company also operates tours.
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.
Island Express Air was a small Canadian airline based in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Its first flight was on August 7, 2009, as part of the Abbotsford International Airshow. It operated scheduled air service between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, as well as charter flights and cargo service. On February 23, 2018, one of their B100 King Air's crashed at Abbotsford Airport (CYXX) immediately after take-off in blizzard conditions. As a result of this accident, and due to public safety concerns, Transport Canada suspended Island Express' Air Operator's Certificate(AOC) shortly thereafter, on February 28, 2018. However, following a robust review of the company's safety procedures the operating certificate was reinstated on June 26, 2018. The company slogan was Your Island Connection.
The Lighthouse Pub is a Transportation Corridor / Restaurant and Pub at the southern tip of Sechelt Inlet. The building was originally a restaurant from Expo 86 and has since been slowly transformed into an air and sea gateway to Sechelt.
Nanaimo Harbour, also known as the Port of Nanaimo, is a natural harbour on the east coast of Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The city of Nanaimo runs along the west side of the harbour. Three islands, Newcastle, Protection, and Gabriola, along with Duke Point, form the eastern edge. The Port of Nanaimo includes the Inner Harbour, Nanaimo River estuary, Departure Bay, the waters on the east side of Newcastle and Protection Islands, and Northumberland Channel. The port is under the management of the Nanaimo Port Authority.
Sydney Seaplanes is a domestic and charter carrier in and around Sydney and is the largest seaplane operator in Australia, operating hundreds of flights a week during the peak tourist season. Founded in August 2006 with one aircraft, Sydney Seaplanes has grown in direct response to the growing incoming Asian tourist markets and the leisure VIP market.
