North America’s first carbon neutral airline, Harbour Air Seaplanes, held a launch party last week to announce a new service between downtown Vancouver and the Tofino harbour.
Flights begin operating on May 10, running once per day, Thursday through Monday. Trips from the city to Tofino depart at 11:30 a.m. and trips from Tofino to the Coal Harbour terminal in Vancouver depart at 1 p.m.
Locals and a guest may fly stand-by for 50 per cent off the regular rate when they show proper Tofino or Ucluelet identification.
“We need your support on this for it to be successful. I know Highway 4 is in trouble this year with construction, this will be a one-hour flight from downtown Vancouver to here for your guests,” said Harbour Air president, Randy Wright, at the launch party.
He went on to stress the importance of safety.
“Our number one value and our number one priority is that a good pilot recognizes the weather and will park the airplane.”
The float-plane company is currently looking at the Ucluelet Harbour as an alternate landing spot for inclement weather, and according to Wright, they are also in discussion with local Indigenous communities.
“Otherwise we go to Port Alberni and bus in,” he said.
The route is scheduled to land adjacent to Tofino Resort and Marina.
Andrew Purdey, co-owner of Tofino Resort and Manager, called the partnership a strategic alliance that will enhance the whole West Coast experience.
“It’s going to be able to bring some of our clients more effectively from the Seattle market,” said Purdey. “When we first bought [Tofino Resort] my whole vision was to tie the West Coast together. That is to take from the Gulf Islands through our marina in Port Sidney to Port Renfrew to Bamfield to Tofino is tying it all together. Now people can come up on their yachts and the business [folks] can come in and catch up to their families on their yachts all up and down the West Coast. This is a real critical component of putting all of that together.”
Harbour Air will primarily use a new nine-passenger, executive seating, Caravan EX aircraft for the Vancouver-Tofino service.
“It’s a brand new, million-dollar aircraft. Has all the latest safety and top-of-the-line navigational equipment,” Wright said.