Harbour Air Introduces Land-Based Plane

Tantalus Air, Harbour Air Group | BCBusiness
Tantalus Air’s new eight passenger aircraft can travel long distances without refuelling and can reach remote destinations.

Tantalus Air will offer charter flights to destinations along the West Coast

B.C.-based Harbour Air Group is expanding its reach with Tantalus Air, its first land-based airline.
 
The new charter airline will have an eight-passenger plane, which will hit destinations primarily in the Pacific Northwest but can travel as far south as Los Angeles.
 
“Charter flights have always been a part of our business, but now with the Pilatus [aircraft], we’re able to offer a land-based option at a cost comparable to that of our seaplanes, which is considerably less than that of a private jet,” says Greg McDougall, CEO of Harbour Air.
 
The new single-engine turboprop aircraft is a Pilatus PC-12 and can travel to destinations with short landing strips because of its low landing speed. Its design also allows it to land on surfaces such as gravel and turf. Although these Swiss-made planes are widely used with 1,500 operating around the world, Tantalus Air is the first major carrier to operate the planes in B.C., says McDougall. The RCMP is the largest owner operator of the PC-12 aircrafts in Canada with a fleet of 15.
 
“These aircraft are extremely popular, but in Western Canada, there just hasn’t been an operator that has really taken them to the market,” says McDougall. “We see that as a great opportunity.”
 
The plane features reclining and pivoting seats, a large cargo entry, a bathroom and a coffee bar. McDougal says that one of Tantalus Air’s markets is golfers flying to  courses in Oregon who choose the aircraft because it can fit six golfers and all of their gear. Business travelers can fly to locations including remote logging camps and mining sites with shorter runways and uneven terrain. The plane can also fly longer distances without refueling, which is uncharacteristic for planes the same size, he says.
 
“The versatility is really the unique thing about this aircraft.”
 
Harbour Air was founded in B.C. in 1982 and is one of the world’s largest seaplane companies, according to the company. The Harbour Air Group consists of Harbour Air Seaplanes, Westcoast Air, Whistler Air and now Tantalus Air.