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| Founded | 1996 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceased operations | 2015 | ||||||
| Hubs | Vancouver Harbour Aerodrome | ||||||
| Secondary hubs | Vancouver Int'l Aerodrome Victoria Inner Harbour Airport Nanaimo Harbour Aerodrome | ||||||
| Fleet size | 3 | ||||||
| Destinations | 7 | ||||||
| Parent company | Harbour Air Seaplanes | ||||||
| Headquarters | Vancouver, British Columbia | ||||||
| Website | Harbour Air | ||||||
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.
Harbour Air Seaplanes of Vancouver acquired West Coast Air and consolidated the two airlines' terminal and services on March 31, 2010. All aircraft were transferred to Harbour Air Seaplanes, the West Coast Air name was dropped and the Harbour Air name painted on all aircraft.
When it operated the company offered flights from downtown Vancouver and the Richmond floatplane base at Vancouver International Airport to Victoria, Nanaimo, Comox, the Sunshine Coast, and Whistler. The company also flew tours and private charters.
Destinations in February 2010, operated for Harbour Air Seaplanes: [1]
In June 2015 the West Coast Air fleet was integrated into Harbour Air and painted in the Harbour Air aircraft livery.
Vancouver Island is in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is 456 km (283 mi) in length, 100 km (62 mi) in width at its widest point, and 32,134 km2 (12,407 sq mi) in area. It is the largest island on the west coasts of the Americas.
Tofino Air is a small Canadian airline offering floatplane service from Tofino, British Columbia. Tofino Air offers scheduled services, scenic tours, and specialized charters.
The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, currently marketed as the Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter, is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL capabilities, twin turboprop engines and high rate of climb have made it a successful commuter passenger airliner 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 United States Air Force's 98th Flying Training Squadron.
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 predominately seaplane airline specializes in routes between Vancouver, Nanaimo, Victoria, Sechelt, Comox, Whistler and the Gulf Islands, primarily with de Havilland Canada floatplanes. Along with Westcoast Air, Salt Spring Air and Whistler Air, it operates de Havilland Beavers, Otters and Twin Otters.
The de Havilland Canada DHC-7, popularly known as the Dash 7, is a turboprop-powered regional airliner with short take-off and landing (STOL) performance. It first flew in 1975 and remained in production until 1988 when the parent company, de Havilland Canada, was purchased by Boeing and was later sold to Bombardier. Bombardier sold the type certificate for the aircraft design to Victoria-based manufacturer Viking Air in 2006.
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.
Time Air was an airline in Canada founded in 1966 by businessman Walter “Stubb” Ross from Lethbridge in Alberta. It was called Lethbridge Air Service before becoming Time Airways Ltd. which was then shortened to Time Air Ltd. In 1993 it was merged with Ontario Express to create Canadian Regional Airlines.
Pacific Coastal Airlines Ltd is a Canadian 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, with a hub at Port Hardy 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, USA, 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.
Canadian Forces Base Comox, commonly referred to as CFB Comox or 19 Wing is a Canadian Forces Base located 2.5 nautical miles north northeast of Comox, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It is primarily operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is one of two bases in the country using the CP-140 Aurora anti-submarine/maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft. Its primary RCAF lodger unit is 19 Wing, commonly referred to as 19 Wing Comox.
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.
Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre, Vancouver Harbour Water Aerodrome or Vancouver Coal Harbour Seaplane Base, is a registered aerodrome located at Coal Harbour in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The flight centre is within walking distance of the HeliJet heliport and Waterfront Station, a public transit hub in Downtown Vancouver.
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.
AirSea Lines was an airline based in Gouvia, Corfu, Greece. It was the first scheduled services seaplane operator in Greece in recent years. Its main base was Gouvia Marina The airline ceased operations in 2009, citing bureaucratic and infrastructure hurdles.
Salt Spring Air part of Harbour Air Seaplanes, is 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.
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, primarily with float planes.
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 the single pilot and all 4 passengers. 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, 9 passengers suffered serious injuries, and 1 passenger was killed. Both aircraft were conducting sightseeing flights. The cause of the accident is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
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