Harbour Air Seaplanes

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Not to be confused with Bar Harbor Airlines or Harbor Airlines.
Harbour Air Seaplanes
HarbourAirSeaplanesheader logo.png
C-FHAD (21353640060).jpg
Turbo Otter at Victoria Inner Harbour Airport
IATA ICAO Callsign
YB[1] HARBOUR EXPRESS
Founded1982
AOC #Canada: 4001[a][2]
Tantalus Air: 17401[3]
United States: 1H6F426F[4]
HubsVancouver Harbour
Victoria Inner Harbour
Secondary hubsVancouver International
Nanaimo Harbour
Focus citiesVancouver, Richmond, Victoria, Nanaimo, Sechelt, Comox, Whistler, Gulf Islands
Frequent-flyer programHigh Flyer Rewards, Air Bucks Program, Quickticket Discounts
Fleet size40,[5] 43[6]
Destinations18[7]
HeadquartersRichmond, British Columbia
Key peopleGreg McDougall, CEO
Peter Evans, President
Websiteharbourair.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. Along with Westcoast Air, Salt Spring Air and Whistler Air, it operates de Havilland Beavers, Otters and Twin Otters.

History[]

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.[8] 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.[9] Harbour Air Magazine is the official in-flight magazine of Harbour Air.[10]

On May 9, 2012 Harbour Air purchased Whistler Air.[11]

In September 2013, Harbour Air launched a land-based charter carrier, Tantalus Air.[12][13]

In November 2015, Harbour Air purchased Salt Spring Air.

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.[14] Harbour Air has noted that its initial electric-powered commercial flights will be on routes of under 30 minutes' duration.[15] The first converted aircraft was a DHC-2 Beaver which serves as the test prototype for the magniX motor, energy storage, and control systems.[14] The prototype flew for the first time on December 10, 2019.[16][17] The company hopes to have the aircraft certified for commercial use by 2021.[18][19]

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.[20]

On February 16, 2010, Deloitte Canada announced that Harbour Air was a winner of a 2009 Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies Award.[21] This national award is sponsored by Deloitte, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, National Post and Queen's School of Business.

On March 31, 2010, Harbour Air completed the acquisition of Westcoast Air and consolidated their terminal services.[22]

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.[23]

In November 2015, Salt Spring Air was purchased by the Harbour Air Group. Salt Spring Air's fleet now joins Harbour Air, Westcoast Air and Whistler Air and now claims to be largest seaplane airline in the world.[24]

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 DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver.[25]

On December 10, 2019, the electric prototype made its first flight over 4 minutes off the Fraser River near Vancouver. The Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior piston engine of the six-passenger ePlane is replaced by a 750 hp (559 kW), 135 kg (297 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 PT6-powered Otters and Twin Otters.[26]

Awards and accolades[]

Harbour Air has won the following awards:[27][non-primary source needed]

  • 2009 to 2014 – Canada's Best Managed Companies
  • 2009 to 2011 – BC's Top 55 Employers[citation needed]
  • 2011 – BC's Top 100 Employers for Young People[citation needed]
  • 2011 – Business of the Year: Victoria Chamber of Commerce[citation needed]
  • 2011 – Canada Tourism Commission Signature Experience Award
  • 2011/2016 – Business of the Year on Vancouver Island: Business Examiner / Business Vancouver Island
  • 2012 – Cumberbatch Award: Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators
  • 2012/2015 – Canada's 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures
  • 2015 – Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Business Awards – Outstanding Customer Service
  • 2015 – VISA Canada Traveller Experience of the Year/ Tourism Industry Association of Canada[citation needed]

Destinations[]

Harbour Air floatplane at Victoria's Inner Harbour Airport
Harbour Air hangar at the Vancouver International Airport
Seaplane taking off, Middle Harbour, Victoria, British Columbia

As of February 2021, Harbour Air serves the following destinations in British Columbia:[7]

Country City Airport Notes
Canada (British Columbia) Comox Comox Water Aerodrome
Maple Bay (Duncan)
Nanaimo Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome
Pitt Meadows Pitt Meadows Water Aerodrome
Richmond Vancouver International Water Airport
Salt Spring Island/Ganges Ganges Water Aerodrome
Sechelt/Sunshine Coast (Lighthouse Pub) Sechelt/Porpoise Bay Water Aerodrome
Tofino Tofino Harbour Water Aerodrome
Vancouver Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre
Victoria Victoria Inner Harbour Airport
Whistler Whistler/Green Lake Water Aerodrome Seasonal
USA (Washington) Seattle Seattle Lake Union Seaplane Base

Fleet[]

As of February 2021, the Harbour Air fleet consisted of 40 aircraft and 42 registered with Transport Canada:[5][6]

Harbour Air
Aircraft No. of aircraft
(HA list)[5]		 No. of aircraft
(TC list[6])		 Passengers Notes
Bell 407 0 1 — Helicopter registered to Tantalus Air
Cessna 172M 0 1 3
Cessna 180J 0 1 — Registered to West Coast Air
Cessna 208B Caravan 1 1 9 Operated by Tantalus Air and still registered to them
de Havilland Canada
DHC-2 Beaver		 14 14 6 On December 10, 2019, the eBeaver flew for the first time, powered by a Magni500
de Havilland Canada
DHC-3-T Turbo Otter		 22 21 14
de Havilland Canada
DHC-6-200 Twin Otter		 3 2 19
de Havilland Canada
DHC-6-300 Twin Otter 		2 19
Total 40 43

In addition, Transport Canada lists a Cessna 185 Skywagon but with a cancelled certificate.[28]

Gallery[]

See also[]

Notes[]

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

References[]

  1. ^ "iata.org". Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  2. ^ Transport Canada (2019-08-31), Civil Aviation Services (CAS) AOC. wwwapps.tc.gc.ca.
  3. ^ Transport Canada (2019-08-31), Civil Aviation Services (CAS) AOC. wwwapps.tc.gc.ca.
  4. ^ "Federal Aviation Administration - Airline Certificate Information - Detail View". av-info.faa.gov. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
  5. ^ a b c "Aircraft Fleet". Archived from the original on 2021-02-05. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
  6. ^ a b c "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Quick Search Result for Harbour Air". Transport Canada. Retrieved 2021-02-05.,
    "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Quick Search Result for West Coast Air". Transport Canada. Retrieved 2021-02-05.,
    "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Quick Search Result for Tantalus Air". Transport Canada. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
  7. ^ a b "Flight Schedules". Archived from the original on 2019-08-03. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  8. ^ "Harbour Air". www.offsetters.ca. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  9. ^ "Corporate". Archived from the original on 2011-09-09. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
  10. ^ In Flight Magazine Archived 2011-03-24 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Whistler Air purchased by largest all-seaplane airline, Harbour Air Archived 2012-07-20 at the Wayback Machine, Peak Magazine May 10, 2012.
  12. ^ Spruce, Terry (September 21, 2013). "Harbour Air launches Tantalus Air". . Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
  13. ^ "Tantalus Air". Archived from the original on February 17, 2016.
  14. ^ a b "Harbour Air set to become the first all-electric airline in the world". Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
  15. ^ Alan Boyle (December 3, 2019). "The electric aviation revolution will be televised … by MagniX and Harbour Air". Geekwire.
  16. ^ Larsen, Karin (December 10, 2019). "All systems go: 1st all-electric seaplane takes flight in B.C." Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
  17. ^ A small Canadian airline using a 63 year old seaplane is on the forefront of electric-powered flight
  18. ^ Peters, Adele (December 10, 2019). "This all-electric airplane is flying the first commercial test flight of its kind". Fast Company. Mansueto Ventures LLC.
  19. ^ Arnot, Mike (December 26, 2019). "Is a 63-Year-Old Seaplane With an Electric Engine the Future of Air Travel?" – via NYTimes.com.
  20. ^ "Carbon Neutrality & Responsible Airline Operations". Archived from the original on 2016-02-14. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  21. ^ "Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies announced". Archived from the original on 2011-06-14. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
  22. ^ Fact Sheet Archived 2010-11-25 at the Wayback Machine
  23. ^ "Harbour Air grounds Langley-to-Victoria service". bclocalnews.com. May 6, 2011. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  24. ^ Our Story
  25. ^ Bell, Jeff; March 26, Victoria Times Colonist Updated; 2019 (2019-03-26). "Harbour Air to add zero-emission electric plane; aims to convert whole fleet | Vancouver Sun". Archived from the original on 2019-03-26. Retrieved 2019-03-26.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  26. ^ Jon Hemmerdinger (10 December 2019). "Harbour Air flies 'first' all-electric commercial aircraft, a DHC-2 Beaver". FlightGlobal.
  27. ^ "Awards". Archived from the original on 2016-02-14. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  28. ^ "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Aircraft Details - C-GCRE". wwwapps.tc.gc.ca.

External links[]

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