Airlines

Experience the History of Harbour Air: Exploring the World's Largest Seaplane Airline





Harbour Air is one of the oldest seaplane airlines in the world. Founded in 1982 by aviation entrepreneur and former bush pilot, Greg McDougall, Harbour Air is a domestic airline based out of Vancouver, Canada. It is the largest seaplane airline in the world, operating over 60 aircraft in its fleet and serving more than 12 destinations, including Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Experience the History of Harbour Air: Exploring the World's Largest Seaplane Airline
Chphe

The company began with a humble fleet of two de Havilland Beaver seaplanes, the same type of plane that McDougall had flown while working as a bush pilot. By 1989, the company had added two more De Havilland Beavers to its fleet and started offering seaplane charters to remote destinations.

Harbour Air has grown significantly over the years, and has made a number of important milestones in its history. In 1995, the airline was the first in the world to be certified for floatplane operations using the new Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR). This allowed them to offer safer and more reliable services to their customers.

In 1998, Harbour Air celebrated the opening of its own seaplane terminal in downtown Vancouver. This allowed the airline to provide more efficient and customer-focused services, including dedicated check-in counters and baggage handling.





Another significant milestone for Harbour Air was the launch of its first scheduled service in 2000 between Vancouver and Victoria. This service is still operating today, and is the second-longest running scheduled seaplane service in the world.

In 2008, Harbour Air became the first carbon-neutral airline in North America. The airline achieved this by offsetting their carbon emissions through the purchase of renewable energy credits and carbon offsets.

In 2012, Harbour Air made history when it became the first airline in the world to operate an all-electric plane. This new plane, the ePlane, was made possible through a partnership with MagniX, a US-based company that specializes in electric motor technologies.

Harbour Air has experienced a few incidents over the years. In 2012, a Harbour Air plane crashed after taking off from Vancouver International Airport. The plane was destroyed, but all on board survived. The cause was determined to be pilot error. In 2017, the Canadian government launched an investigation into the airline after several safety concerns were raised. The airline was found to be in compliance with all safety regulations and the investigation was closed.





Today, Harbour Air remains one of the most trusted seaplane airlines in the world. With a strong safety record and a commitment to sustainability, the airline continues to be a leader in the industry.