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.[9] 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.[10]Harbour Air Magazine is the official in-flight magazine of Harbour Air.[11]
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.[12]
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.[21]
In March 2019, Harbour Air announced a partnership with magniX to electrify the entire Harbour Air fleet over the long term.[22] Harbour Air has noted that its initial electric-powered commercial flights will be on routes of under 30 minutes' duration.[23] The first converted aircraft was a DHC-2 Beaver which serves as the test prototype for the magniX motor, energy storage, and control systems.[22] The prototype flew for the first time on December 10, 2019.[24][25] The company hopes to have the aircraft certified for commercial use by 2021.[26][27]
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 hopes to convert its entire fleet to electric propulsion. The first plane to be converted is a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver.[28]
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 is replaced by a 560 kW (750 hp), 135 kg (298 lb) magni500, with swappable batteries allowing 30 min flights plus 30 min of reserve power.
Harbour Air wants to convert all its 34 aircraft, including Beavers and Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-powered Otters and Twin Otters.[29]