Harbour Air, North America’s largest seaplane airline, has announced the upcoming rollout of their first-ever wheeled flight service between Vancouver International Airport’s (YVR) South Terminal and YYJ Victoria International Airport from November 4th, 2024.
Launching November 4, 2024 with up to 3 daily round-trip flights Monday to Friday, the addition of wheeled flights and ability to fly during hours of darkness marks a first for the seaplane airline, as it has traditionally only flown during visible daylight hours due to its aircraft operating on floats and water.
With the addition of wheeled aircraft, Harbour Air is responding to increased market demand from local and business travelers seeking flexible early morning and late evening options previously unserved by Harbour Air. The converted Canadian-built 19-seater Twin Otter aircraft will have wheels and de-icing equipment installed which will enable them to fly in diverse winter weather and operate at airports outside of daylight hours, providing additional flight times and more choice for travelers.
The schedule for Harbour Air’s new wheeled flight service is as follows:
Starting November 4, 2024:
Monday-Friday
- From YVR Airport (South Terminal): 7:15am, 4:00pm*, 6:25pm
- From YYJ Victoria International Airport: 8:30am, 5:15pm*, 7:45pm
* December 2, 2024 – February 28, 2025 only
“YYJ welcomes the new service between YVR’s South Terminal and Victoria. The team at Harbour Air have developed a great schedule which provides an additional travel option for Vancouver Islanders needing to get to the mainland”, said Elizabeth Brown, Victoria Airport Authority President and CEO. “We look forward to the success of this exciting and unique new route.”
In addition to the launch of the new wheeled flight service, Harbour Air has also made recent changes across their flight network to increase seating capacity and frequency along other routes. This includes additional daily flights being added for Powell River-downtown Vancouver and Powell River-Richmond (YVR South) starting in October; additional capacity for Nanaimo connector flights for Sechelt; and additional capacity for existing Victoria seaplane flights between downtown Vancouver and Victoria Harbour Airport.