Harbour Air

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Floatplane airline in British Columbia, Canada

title: "Harbour Air" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1982-establishments-in-british-columbia", "airlines-established-in-1982", "charter-airlines-of-canada", "companies-based-in-richmond,-british-columbia", "regional-airlines-of-british-columbia", "seaplane-operators"] description: "Floatplane airline in British Columbia, Canada" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbour_Air" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Floatplane airline in British Columbia, Canada ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox airline"]

FieldValue
airlineHarbour Air
logoLogo for Harbour Air.png
logo_size300
imageХидроавион у Ванкуверу 2023 године 04 09 2023 Драган Цветковић.JPG
captionHarbour Air plane 2023
fleet_size37, 41
destinations16
IATAYB
CDDHR
callsignHARBOUR EXPRESS
founded1982
aocCanada: 4001
Tantalus Air: 17401
United States: 1H6F426F
headquartersRichmond, British Columbia
key_peopleBert van der Stege, CEO
hubsVancouver Harbour
Vancouver International
secondary_hubsVictoria Inner Harbour
Nanaimo Harbour
focus_citiesVancouver, Richmond, Victoria, Nanaimo, Sechelt, Comox, Whistler, Gulf Islands
frequent_flyerHigh Flyer Rewards, Air Bucks Program, Quickticket Discounts
website
::

| airline = Harbour Air | logo = Logo for Harbour Air.png | logo_size = 300 | image = Хидроавион у Ванкуверу 2023 године 04 09 2023 Драган Цветковић.JPG | caption = Harbour Air plane 2023 | fleet_size = 37, 41 | destinations = 16 | IATA = YB | CDD = HR | ICAO = | callsign = HARBOUR EXPRESS | parent = | founded = 1982 | aoc = Canada: 4001 Tantalus Air: 17401 United States: 1H6F426F | headquarters = Richmond, British Columbia | key_people = Bert van der Stege, CEO | 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 = High Flyer Rewards, Air Bucks Program, Quickticket Discounts | lounge = | website =

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. 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. Harbour Air Magazine is the official in-flight magazine of Harbour Air.

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.

On February 16, 2010, Deloitte Canada announced that Harbour Air was a winner of a 2009 Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies Award. 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.

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.

On May 9, 2012, Harbour Air purchased Whistler Air.

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.

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.

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. The first converted aircraft was a DHC-2 Beaver which serves as the test prototype for the magniX motor, energy storage, and control systems. The prototype flew for the first time on December 10, 2019. The company hopes to have the aircraft certified for commercial use by 2021.

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.

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, 135 kg 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.

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 in 24 minutes. The aircraft was displayed at the British Columbia Aviation Museum open house on August 20 the same year.

Awards and accolades

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Victoria,BC-seaplane_taking_off_01(20551034882).jpg" caption="Seaplane taking off, Middle Harbour, Victoria, British Columbia"] ::

Harbour Air has won the following awards:

  • 2009 to 2014 – Canada's Best Managed Companies
  • 2009 to 2011 – BC's Top 55 Employers
  • 2011 – BC's Top 100 Employers for Young People
  • 2011 – Business of the Year: Victoria Chamber of Commerce
  • 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

Destinations

As of , Harbour Air serves the following destinations (some destinations are seasonal): ::data[format=table title=""]

CountryProvince / stateCityAirportNotes
CanadaBritish ColumbiaCampbell RiverCampbell River Water Aerodrome
ComoxComox Water Aerodrome
NanaimoNanaimo Harbour Water AerodromeNanaimo Harbour
Powell RiverPowell Lake Water Aerodrome
RichmondVancouver International Water AirportAdjacent to the South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport
Ganges Water AerodromeAt Ganges
SecheltSechelt/Porpoise Bay Water AerodromeOn the Sunshine Coast, at the Lighthouse Pub
TofinoTofino Harbour Water Aerodrome
TofinoTofino-Long Beach Airport
UclueletUcluelet Water Aerodrome
VancouverVancouver Harbour Flight CentreLocated in Burrard Inlet and sometimes known as Vancouver Harbour Water Aerodrome or Vancouver Coal Harbour Seaplane Base
Vancouver International AirportAt the South Terminal, 5 km from the Main Terminal
VictoriaVictoria Inner Harbour AirportAt Inner Harbour
Victoria International Airport
WhistlerWhistler/Green Lake Water Aerodrome
United StatesWashingtonSeattleSeattle Lake Union Seaplane Base
::

Fleet

, Harbour Air listed 37 aircraft and Transport Canada listed 41 aircraft:

::data[format=table title="Harbour Air Fleet"] | Aircraft||No. of aircraft (HA list)||No. of aircraft (TC list)||Passengers||Variants||Notes | Total | 37 | 41 | |---|---|---|---| | Cessna 172 | — | 1 | — | | Cessna 180 Skywagon | — | 1 | — | | Cessna 208 Caravan | 2 | 2 | 9 | | de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver | 9 | 12 | 6 | | de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter | 22 | 21 | 14 | | de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter | 4 | 4 | 19 | ::

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.

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.

Gallery

|height=135 |File:DHC-3T Turbo Otter Valetta Harbour Malta 21.11.07R.jpg|An Single Otter of Harbour Air in the harbour at Valletta |File:Vancouver seaplane.jpg|A DHC-2 Beaver at Vancouver Harbour |File:Harbour Air.jpg|A lineup of 2 DHC-2s and a DHC-3 |File:Harbour air.jpg|Harbour air at Vancouver Harbour |File:Harbour-air.png|The vertical stabilizer of a Harbour Air DHC-2 |File:Harbour Air Seaplanes è una compagnia aerea charter , tour e servizio di idrovolanti.jpg|Harbour Air aircraft, Vancouver |File:Harbour air ebeaver seaplane in Ganges Harbour.jpg|Harbour Air ebeaver in Ganges Harbour |File:Panoramic view of the archipelago of Victoria 01.jpg|Take off from Victoria Harbour, British Columbia |File:Harbour Air floatplane at Victoria's Inner Harbour Airport.jpg|Harbour Air floatplane at Victoria Inner Harbour Airport |File:Dhc-2 c-fosp.jpg|A Harbour Air de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver in Richmond in June 2006

Explanatory notes

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

References

References

  1. "iata.org".
  2. {{CanDD. Harbour Air. HR. HARBOUR EXPRESS. 2. 2023-02-28
  3. {{TCAOC. 2019-08-31. 40-01. Harbour+Air+Seaplanes
  4. {{TCAOC. 2019-08-31. 174-01. Tantalus+Air
  5. "Federal Aviation Administration - Airline Certificate Information - Detail View".
  6. "Harbour Air".
  7. "Corporate".
  8. "In Flight Magazine".
  9. "Carbon Neutrality & Responsible Airline Operations".
  10. "Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies announced".
  11. "Fact Sheet".
  12. (May 6, 2011). "Harbour Air grounds Langley-to-Victoria service". bclocalnews.com.
  13. (May 10, 2012). "Whistler Air purchased by largest all-seaplane airline, Harbour Air". Peak Magazine.
  14. {{CanICAOD. Tantalus Air. TTU. TANTALUS. 8. 2023-02-27
  15. (April 28, 2020). "CCAR - History Search Result - Tantalus Air Ltd".
  16. Spruce, Terry. (September 21, 2013). "Harbour Air launches Tantalus Air". Corporate Jet Investigator.
  17. "Tantalus Air".
  18. [https://www.harbourair.com/about/our-story/ Our Story]
  19. Alan Boyle. (December 3, 2019). "The electric aviation revolution will be televised … by MagniX and Harbour Air". [[GeekWire]].
  20. "Harbour Air set to become the first all-electric airline in the world".
  21. (December 10, 2019). "All systems go: 1st all-electric seaplane takes flight in B.C.".
  22. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/a-small-canadian-airline-using-a-63-year-old-seaplane-is-on-the-forefront-of-electric-powered-flight/2019/12/28/dd0c6694-228a-11ea-bed5-880264cc91a9_story.html?hpid=hp_no-name_hp-in-the-news%3Apage%2Fin-the-news A small Canadian airline using a 63 year old seaplane is on the forefront of electric-powered flight]
  23. (December 10, 2019). "This all-electric airplane is flying the first commercial test flight of its kind". Mansueto Ventures LLC.
  24. Arnot, Mike. (December 26, 2019). "Is a 63-Year-Old Seaplane With an Electric Engine the Future of Air Travel?". The New York Times.
  25. (March 26, 2019). "Harbour Air to add zero-emission electric plane; aims to convert whole fleet".
  26. Jon Hemmerdinger. (December 10, 2019). "Harbour Air flies 'first' all-electric commercial aircraft, a DHC-2 Beaver". FlightGlobal.
  27. Darron Kloster. (August 19, 2022). "Harbour Air's electric plane makes successful test flight". Times Colonist.
  28. "Awards".
  29. "Locations".
  30. "Aircraft Fleet".
  31. {{TCregister. HARBOUR+AIR. Harbour Air. September 2, 2025
  32. "ASN Wikibase Occurrence #23454".
  33. "ASN Wikibase Occurrence #389255".
  34. "Seaplane crash in Vancouver's Coal Harbour".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1982-establishments-in-british-columbiaairlines-established-in-1982charter-airlines-of-canadacompanies-based-in-richmond,-british-columbiaregional-airlines-of-british-columbiaseaplane-operators