Aviation Leaders Set to Transform Seaplanes into ePlanes — a Zero-emission Aircraft for the Future

REDMOND, WA and VANCOUVER, B.C. – March 26, 2019 – magniX, the company powering the electric aviation revolution, and Harbour Air, North America’s largest seaplane airline, today announced a partnership to transform Harbour Air seaplanes into an all-electric commercial fleet powered by the magni500, a 750 horsepower (HP) all-electric motor.

Operating 12 routes between hubs like Seattle and Vancouver and across the pristine natural wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, Harbour Air welcomes more than 500,000 passengers on 30,000 commercial flights each year. Through this partnership, both companies are furthering the vision to someday connect communities with clean, efficient and affordable electric air travel.

“Harbour Air first demonstrated its commitment to sustainability by becoming the first fully carbon-neutral airline in North America in 2007, through the purchase of carbon offsets,” said Greg McDougall, founder and CEO of Harbour Air Seaplanes. “Through our commitment to making a positive impact on people’s lives, the communities where we operate and the environment, we are once again pushing the boundaries of aviation by becoming the first commercial aircraft to be powered by electric propulsion. We are excited to bring commercial electric aviation to the Pacific Northwest, turning our seaplanes into ePlanes.”

The aviation industry currently contributes 12 percent of all U.S. carbon emissions and 4.9 percent globally, all while providing few low-cost, fuel-efficient options for passenger flights under 1,000 miles. By modifying existing Harbour Air planes with innovative, all-electric magniX propulsion systems, the partnership will create the world’s first completely electric commercial seaplane fleet. A Harbour Air ePlane will have zero reliance on fossil fuels and produce zero emissions – a significant step forward in the innovation and advancement of the airline industry.

“In 2018, 75 percent of worldwide airline flights were 1,000 miles or less in range. With magniX’s new propulsion systems coupled with emerging battery capabilities, we see tremendous potential for electric aviation to transform this heavily trafficked ‘middle mile’ range,” said Roei Ganzarski, CEO of magniX. “We’re excited to partner with Harbour Air, a forward thinking, like-minded company that is dedicated to bringing environmentally conscious, cost effective air-transport solutions to the West Coast of North America. This partnership will set the standard for the future of commercial aviation operators.”

The first aircraft to be converted will be the DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver, a six-passenger commercial aircraft used across Harbour Air’s route network. Harbour Air and magniX expect to conduct first flight tests of the all-electric aircraft in late 2019.

This partnership follows significant milestones for both companies, including the successful testing of magniX’s 350 HP all-electric motor and the addition of a Vancouver to Seattle route in Harbour Air’s destination roster.

To learn more, visit magniX and Harbour Air

About magniX

Headquartered in Redmond, WA with engineering facilities in Redmond and in Australia, magniX offers revolutionary electric propulsion systems for aircraft to meet electrical generation and torque requirements for sustainable commercial aerospace and defense. Using proprietary technology, magniX offers a range of solutions for various aviation applications including fixed wing, rotorcraft, and VTOL. For more information, please visit: www.magnix.aero.

About Harbour Air

Founded in 1982 with two small seaplanes, Harbour Air is North America’s largest seaplane airline — and the first to be fully carbon-neutral. The company’s international seaplane service, which originally began as a service for the forestry industry in B.C., is now a quintessential west coast experience. With a showcase fleet of more than 40 aircraft, Harbour Air offers up to 300 daily scheduled flights, scenic tours, adventure packages, and private flights. With 12 scheduled destinations connecting downtown Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle (WA), Nanaimo, Tofino, Whistler, Richmond (YVR South), Sechelt, Salt Spring Island, Pitt Meadows, Maple Bay and Comox, B.C. born Harbour Air welcomes 500,000 passengers every year. For more information, visit staging.harbourair.com.

Media Contacts:

Barokas Communications for magniX
magniX@barokas.com

Samantha Kent
Marketing Manager, Harbour Air Group
Email: skent@harbourair.com
Office: 604.233.3526

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Harbour Air is proud to be named a 2019 winner of the Canada’s Best Managed Companies Platinum Club designation! After ten consecutive years being recognized for its Best Managed status, this is the fourth year Harbour Air has been awarded as a Platinum Club member.

“We’re very proud to be recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies,” said Randy Wright, President of Harbour Air. “Over the past ten years we’ve experienced tremendous growth, and to be consistently celebrated for the quality of our team and service is an incredible honour.”

Now in its 26th year, Canada’s Best Managed Companies is one of the country’s leading business awards programs recognizing Canadian-owned and managed companies with revenues over $15 million  for innovative, world-class business practices. The prestigious Platinum Club designation is reserved for those companies who have retained their Best Managed status for seven years or more.

With more than 450 staff, the  Harbour Air Group, consisting of Harbour Air Seaplanes, Whistler Air, Saltspring Air and Harbour Air Aerospace Services has become one of the world’s largest seaplane airlines. With a foundation rooted in our commitments to Safety, Service, Innovation and Team Spirit, every team member works to provide unforgettable, expectation-exceeding passenger experiences. The Harbour Air Group is proud to be North America’s first carbon neutral airline, since 2007.

For more information about Canada’s Best Managed Companies program, please visit www.bestmanagedcompanies.ca.

Do things look a little different than you’re used to? We’ve been working behind-the-scenes on a brand new website, and it’s ready for takeoff!

The launch of our new site comes shortly after the launch of our all-new mobile app. Our team is continually looking for opportunities to improve the Harbour Air experience for our guests at every step of the way. We hope you’ll find the new site simple to navigate with lots of helpful content that integrates seamlessly with our easy online booking system.

Need help finding information? Let us introduce you to Turbo-bot our brand new chat bot, ready to help answer questions and help you find website information quickly and easily. Simply click on the “Chat with us!” icon in the bottom corner of this page. Turbot is always ready to help!

What else is new?

• Check out our Parcel Express page to learn all about our updated shipping service, to help you send packages and parcels with ease! The new program launches March 25.
• New to flying on floats? Or simply awed by the beauty of the West Coast? Us too, that’s why we’re thrilled to share our new photo and video gallery with stunning photos from our Instagram page and new videos. Definitely don’t miss our new Virtual Reality videos!
• Our new Turbo Ticket page explains everything about flying with these coveted standby tickets, sold exclusively online in our popular flash sales. Hint… if you’re interested, we’d recommend signing up for the Turbo Ticket email list soon and be the first to hear from us on our next sale!
• Dreaming of your next amazing getaway? Ask us about booking your own private flight and choose the times and locations that are most convenient for you. Fill out a request on our updated Private Flights page. We make travel, easy.

Have feedback for us about our new website? We’d love to hear from you! Click here to share your feedback on our new site!

Let’s fly! Managing travel from your mobile device just got easier with the all-new Harbour Air App. It all starts with the dynamic home screen where you can see current weather conditions, view your upcoming reservations and even save your favourite flights for quick bookings at the touch of a finger. Plus, see what the Harbour Air experience is all about with our virtual reality videos.

Book flights

Browse schedules and book flights with just a few taps. The “Frequent Bookings” feature remembers your preferred routes, making it even faster to complete your reservation.

Manage trips

Plans can change, we get it. Use the “My Flights” screen to change or cancel bookings while you’re on the go.

Stay connected

Staying up-to-date with Harbour Air is simpler than ever. Receive flight notifications, find flight status information, and check the balance of your High Flyer Rewards points.

For travel made easy, download the Harbour Air App today! The App is compatible with both Apple and Android devices and is available to download from the App Store or on Google Play.  

Have feedback to share about our App? We would love to hear from you. Click here to get in touch.

Harbour Air founder & CEO to be honoured for outstanding contributions to Canadian innovation

Vancouver, B.C., February 4, 2019 – On May 16, 2019, Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame will honour five individuals for their contribution to Canadian aviation. Greg McDougall, founder and CEO of the Harbour Air Group and Harbour Air Seaplanes, will be one of two B.C.-based industry leaders to be inducted as Members of the Hall of Fame.

“It’s an incredible honour,” said Greg McDougall, founder & CEO of Harbour Air Seaplanes. “I am extremely proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish as an airline and how our efforts have contributed to a number of innovations and enhanced safety standards in our industry.”

Starting out with two planes servicing the forestry industry, Harbour Air grew into one of the largest all-seaplane airlines in the world to become a vital piece of B.C.’s transportation infrastructure. With more than 450 staff and transporting more than 500,000 passengers each year, Harbour Air is internationally renowned for its business model and offers consulting services to airlines around the world, including the UK, USA and China. In 2007, Harbour Air was the first airline in North America to become completely carbon neutral, an achievement it continues to this day. 

“I think we recognized early on that in order for us to make seaplane travel a sophisticated air transportation option we had to change the stereotypical, bush-plane culture of the West Coast and elevate safety standards to that of a professional airline,” said McDougall. “Our steadfast focus on safety, innovation and service was the breakthrough of our operation and certainly its ongoing success.”

Born in 1955 in Santa Barbara, California, McDougall made annual family trips to his family’s remote cabin in B.C., sparking McDougall’s desire to return to the coast and begin flying commercially. In 1982, during an economic downturn, when the company he was working for began to struggle, McDougall decided to lease back the aircraft, co-founding Harbour Air. Over the next 35 + years, Harbour Air grew, offering scenic tours, private flights and scheduled service across twelve destinations, including its first international service between downtown Seattle and downtown Vancouver, which launched in Spring 2018.

The 2019 inductions will be the 46th annual celebration of Canadian aviation accomplishments and will bring to 237 the number of Canadians who have been installed as Members of the Hall. In addition, 23 organizations have been honored for their contributions, receiving the Belt of Orion Award of Excellence.

Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame is located at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta.

About Harbour Air

Founded in 1982 with two seaplanes, Harbour Air is now North America’s largest and first fully carbon-neutral airline. The company’s international seaplane service, which originally began as a service for the forestry industry in B.C., is now a quintessential west coast experience. With a showcase fleet of more than 40 aircraft, Harbour Air offers up to 200 daily scheduled flights, scenic tours, adventure packages, and private flights. With 12 scheduled destinations connecting downtown Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle (WA), Nanaimo, Tofino, Whistler, South Vancouver (YVR), Sechelt, Salt Spring Island, Pitt Meadows, Maple Bay and Comox, B.C. born Harbour Air transports 500,000 passengers every year. For more information, visit staging.harbourair.com

Advanced Navigation Will Further Ensure On-Time Reliability

October 16, 2018 – VANCOUVER, B.C. – Harbour Air, North America’s largest seaplane airline, is further improving its highly popular flight between Seattle and Vancouver with new navigational procedures to facilitate flying in most weather conditions.

In its first summer/fall season, the downtown-to-downtown flight between Vancouver and Seattle has exceeded passenger targets, with more than 3,100 passengers using the flight. Recently highlighted at the Cascadia Corridor conference in Vancouver as a vital link between the two cities, the service will continue through the autumn and winter, using what is called IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) that enable flights to operate through most cloudy or foggy weather on the West Coast.

“We are now the first seaplane airline to use IFR navigation on a scheduled international route,” said Harbour Air President Randy Wright. “This is yet a further improvement in our ability to reliably transport people between downtown Vancouver and Seattle in under one hour.”

A Seattle-to-Vancouver seaplane flight has been envisioned for decades. It was made possible six months ago by the federal government’s decision to offer Canada Border Security Agency (CBSA) immigration and customs services at the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre, from which Harbour Air operates its Vancouver/Seattle service.

Since then, the scheduled flight has won accolades from high-tech firm employees and executives, including Microsoft President Brad Smith, who are seeking to link the Cascadia region’s high-tech economy. Canadians have also added their support, including those running Canada’s supercluster consortium, who have called the flight vital to building BC’s and Canada’s high-tech, innovation economy.

“We want to thank the federal government and the Canada Border Security Agency for understanding the importance of the seaplane flight between Vancouver and Seattle to British Columbians, Canadians and our neighbours in Washington State,” said Wright. “We look forward to cooperating further to build this important transportation route linking Cascadia, creating jobs and opportunity in Canada’s supercluster.”

Harbour Air’s first international IFR flight, piloted by Burt Wright and Kory Paul, took place on Oct. 9, 2018. It was a first in North America, flying Harbour Air’s newest international, scheduled route between downtown Vancouver and downtown Seattle.

“This is an incredible milestone for not only our airline but the North American seaplane industry,” said Randy Wright, President, Harbour Air Seaplanes. “Traditionally restricted to visual flight rules, the Transport Canada and FAA approval for IFR is an enormous step forward in continuing to deliver innovative, safe and consistent service.”

Wright believes this milestone will help expedite the use and approval of IFR more broadly. “Currently, regulations require seaplanes to use visual flight rules for takeoff and landings. Expanded approval to incorporate this new technology (IFR) would provide a significant benefit for the consistency of seaplane operations on the West Coast.”

The Seattle to Vancouver service will continue to operate six days per week throughout the autumn and winter months.

About Harbour Air

Founded in 1982 with two small seaplanes, Harbour Air is North America’s largest and first fully carbon neutral airline. The company’s international seaplane service, which originally began as a service for the forestry industry in B.C., is a quintessential west coast experience and vital part of the province’s transportation network, flying more than 450,000 passengers every year. With a fleet of more than 40 aircraft, Harbour Air offers up to 200 daily scheduled flights, scenic tours, adventure packages and private flights. The airline’s 12 scheduled destinations connect downtown Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle (WA), Nanaimo, Tofino, Whistler, South Vancouver (YVR), Sechelt, Salt Spring Island, Pitt Meadows, Maple Bay and Comox. For more information, visit staging.harbourair.com

Media Contact:

Samantha Kent

Marketing Manager, Harbour Air Group

Email: skent@harbourair.com

Office: 604.233.3526

August 25th and 26th, 2018, Harbour Air employees, friends and family members came together as a team to participate in the 10^th annual British Columbia Ride to Conquer Cancer (RTCC). The airline’s 26-member team set a new company record, raising more than $80,000 in donations for the charity event.

Marking the 10-year milestone, the RTCC featured a new, completely B.C.-based route for 2018. Over 2,500 cyclists from across the province rode 200 scenic kilometres over two days in BC’s Fraser Valley, and collectively raised $10.6 million in support of the BC Cancer Foundation.

In addition to team fundraising efforts, Harbour Air was proud to support the 2018 British Columbia Ride to Conquer Cancer as a Peloton Partner sponsor. Sponsorship contributions assisted with ride operations and a new Harbour Air lounge to greet tired riders back to camp with lounge chairs, games and activities.

In the months leading up to the ride, Harbour Air team members and employees collected personal donations, hosted charity BBQ events and assisted with securing corporate fundraising. Working towards a total besting the team’s 2017 contribution of $65,000, the Harbour Air riders celebrated breaking the $80,000 milestone mid-way through the ride’s first day.

Harbour Air’s Ride to Conquer Cancer team and corporate sponsorship align with the company’s Share the Fare  charitable giving program. Introduced in 2017 and raising over $75,000 in its first year, Share the Fare is Harbour Air’s way of giving back to the coastal BC communities that have supported the airline for over 35 years. For each passenger travelling on a “Share the Fare Friday,” Harbour Air automatically makes a $1 donation. Passengers also have the opportunity to make their own contributions on any flight, any day. Share the Fare proceeds are divided evenly between three local charity partners: Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, The BC Cancer Foundation and the Boys & Girls Club of South Coast BC.

Harbour Air would like to thank everyone who contributed donations or personal time to the make the 2018 Ride to Conquer Cancer a resounding success. In addition, a debt of gratitude is owed to the ride organizers and crew, the ever-smiling volunteers, traffic control professionals, police and patient motorists for a safe, fun and memorable event. Thank you and see you next year!

 Our gratitude to the following (partial list of) donors:

Tara Denton, Frank Bouree, Dave Dakers, Mark Finch, Christine Flynn, Joey Gibbons, Gordon Harris, Theo Kracke, Janis McGladrey, Mary Newman, Patrick Oswald, Debbie Wills, Wendy, Tim Raphael, John Burkard, Guff Munch, Oak Bay Beach Hotel, Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Hugh Smythe, Janell Wilkin, Hendrik Zessel, Triss Bubbs, Craig Diamond, Earl, Norman Gish, Peter Henderson, Kristin Kopec, Maximum Express Courier, Mountainview Trading Ltd., Ruffell& Brown Window Fashions, Deane Strongitharm, Miles Vince, The Wilson Group, Marianne Wilson, Darren Wright, Don McPherson, Todd Banks, Miro Cernetig, Gary Eng, Robert Foord, David Hollands, Bud & Dotty Kanke, Barry LaPointe, Moja Coffee, Barry Johnson, Orca Spirit Adventure, Buff & Nigel Woods, Quentin Smith, Jim Yeates, Don McPherson, Jacqui Cohen, Bruce Allen, Ecoasis, James B Myers, Gravitas Aviation Ltd., Steph and Burt Wright, Jeremy Nichols, Frontier Ventures, Douglas Irwin, Reid Carter, Joe Houssian, Ingrid McDougall, Trenholme & Company

Harbour Air is thrilled to announce a new seaplane service between downtown Vancouver and downtown Seattle, launching Thursday, April 26, 2018!

In a joint venture with Seattle-based Kenmore Air, the new one-hour route will be Harbour Air’s first international scheduled service, offering two daily round-trip flights, Monday through Friday.

Flights are now available for purchase online, in person or by phone (1.800.665.0212 or 604.274.1277).

Connecting the two cities’ downtowns, the initial spring schedule will include two morning and afternoon flights between Harbour Air’s Coal Harbour terminal in downtown Vancouver and Lake Union in downtown Seattle. The service will also offer an additional stop at Kenmore Air’s Seaplane Base on Lake Washington.

The new route will allow passengers to travel quickly, easily and conveniently between Seattle and Vancouver, saving hours in driving and traditional airport travel time. Border control will be available upon landing for efficient processing, allowing travellers to maximize their time across the border. Click here to read the full media release.

For more information and details on the Seattle seaplane service see our frequently asked questions below.

For more information, call one of our friendly reservations agents at 1.800.665.0212 or click here to book now!

Harbour Air is excited to announce a new scheduled service to beautiful Tofino, B.C., launching Thursday, May 10! 

The new one-hour route will quickly and conveniently connect passengers between our Coal Harbour terminal in downtown Vancouver and the remote west coast of Vancouver Island. With spectacular aerial views across the Straight of Georgia, over Port Alberni Inlet and Pacific Rim National Park and along the coast into Tofino Harbour, this route will be one of Harbour Air’s most scenic coastal flights.

Primarily using their brand new 9 passenger, executive seating, Caravan EX aircraft and landing adjacent to the picturesque Tofino Resort & Marina, the new service will connect passengers into the heart of the village, saving passengers hours in ferry and driving time.

“We’re thrilled to be bringing scheduled seaplane service to Tofino,” says Randy Wright, President, Harbour Air. “We’ve been connecting B.C.’s coast for more than 35 years. As one of B.C.’s coastal, and remote, jewels, Tofino is the ideal destination to enhance our service and we’ve received nothing but positive support from the Tofino and Ucluelet community”.

Flights will begin operating from Harbour Air’s location in Coal Harbour, Vancouver on May 10^th, running once per day Thursday to Monday.

For more information, call one of our friendly reservations agents at 1.800.665.0212 or click here to book now!