Harbour Air
Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use Canadian English Template:Infobox airline
Harbour Air is a floatplane airline with scheduled, tour, and charter services based in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. Predominantly operating seaplanes the 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.
History
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A small subsidiary, Template:Visible anchor, 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Harbour Air Magazine is the official in-flight magazine of Harbour Air.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On February 16, 2010, Deloitte Canada announced that Harbour Air was a winner of a 2009 Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies Award.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="facts">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On May 9, 2012, Harbour Air purchased Whistler Air.<ref name="Whistler">Template:Cite web</ref>
In September 2013, Harbour Air launched a land-based charter carrier, Template:Visible anchor, which operated one Cessna 182 Skylane as ICAO airline designator TTU, and telephony TANTALUS.<ref name=CanICAOD>Template:CanICAOD</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Our Story</ref>
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.<ref name=avblog2019/> Harbour Air has noted that its initial electric-powered commercial flights will be on routes of under 30 minutes' duration.<ref name=gw20191203>Template:Cite news</ref> The first converted aircraft was a DHC-2 Beaver which serves as the test prototype for the magniX motor, energy storage, and control systems.<ref name=avblog2019>Template:Cite web</ref> The prototype flew for the first time on December 10, 2019.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>A small Canadian airline using a 63 year old seaplane is on the forefront of electric-powered flight</ref> The company hopes to have the aircraft certified for commercial use by 2021.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=nyt20191226>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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 Template:Cvt, Template:Cvt 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.<ref name=Flight10dec2019>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Update after
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 Template:Cvt in 24 minutes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The aircraft was displayed at the British Columbia Aviation Museum open house on August 20 the same year.Template:Citation needed
Awards and accolades
.jpg){kind=link}
Harbour Air has won the following awards:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Primary source inline
- 2009 to 2014 – Canada's Best Managed Companies
- 2009 to 2011 – BC's Top 55 EmployersTemplate:Citation needed
- 2011 – BC's Top 100 Employers for Young PeopleTemplate:Citation needed
- 2011 – Business of the Year: Victoria Chamber of CommerceTemplate: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 CanadaTemplate:Citation needed
Destinations
As of Template:As of, Harbour Air serves the following destinations (some destinations are seasonal):<ref name="HAD">Template:Cite web</ref>
Fleet
Template:As of, Harbour Air listed 37 aircraft and Transport Canada listed 41 aircraft:<ref name="HAF">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="TCFleet">Template:TCregister</ref>
| Aircraft | No. of aircraft (HA list)<ref name="HAF"/> |
No. of aircraft (TC list<ref name="TCFleet"/>) |
Passengers | Variants | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 172 | — | 1 | — | 172M | Not listed at Harbour Air website |
| Cessna 180 Skywagon | — | 1 | — | 180J | Not listed at Harbour Air website |
| Cessna 208 Caravan | 2 | 2 | 9 | 208B Grand Caravan EX | |
| de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver | 9 | 12 | 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 | 4 | 4 | 19 | Series 300 | |
| Total | 37 | 41 | |||
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Gallery
{{#invoke:Gallery|gallery}}
See also
Explanatory notes
Template:Note labelAOC number is used for Harbour Air Seaplanes, Whistler Air, Salt Spring Air and West Coast Air.