Harbour Air introduces first land-based aircraft to its fleet.
Harbour Air has added its first land-based aircraft to its fleet, a Pilatus PC-12 that will be operating on behalf of the new Harbour Air subsidiary, Tantalus Air.
October 3, 2013 – by Lindsay Hughes
Harbour Air has added its first land-based aircraft to its fleet, a Pilatus PC-12 that will be operating on behalf of the new Harbour Air subsidiary, Tantalus Air. The acquisition of the single-engine turboprop aircraft is a first for the Vancouver, B.C.-based Harbour Air, which is known for operating one of the largest all-seaplane airlines in North America.
“We’re looking towards market expansion, and there’s an opportunity for us to put this aircraft into our fleet in a cost effective manner,” said Harbour Air Group’s vice-president of flight operations and safety, Eric Scott. “There isn’t a huge utilization of the aircraft in Western Canada and we see a market for it.”
Tantalus Air will provide private charter flights throughout Western Canada and the United States. Chosen by Harbour Air for its cost-effectiveness, payload, range, and speed capabilities, the Pilatus PC-12 will allow the airline to access areas that were previously out of reach.
“It’s an efficient airplane; it’s well built and well designed,” said Scott. “It’s not a little jet; it’ll actually get into gravel and turf strips.”
In addition to its durability and cost-effectiveness, the PC-12 will offer passengers and pilots a luxury option for transportation on the West Coast. The cabin has capacity for six in executive seating, but can also accommodate an eight-person configuration.
“I am one of the pilots, and I love it. It has a big cockpit and a big cabin for the passengers; it’s quite comfortable,” said Scott. “The cargo door gives us lots of good access to get larger items in, like bikes or golf clubs.”
The PC-12 is known for its versatility and safety, both of which factored into Harbour Air’s decision to acquire it. The addition of the PC-12 to the Harbour Air fleet is an exciting prospect to Pilatus Centre Canada (a division of Levaero Aviation) director of sales, Stan Kuliavas.
“I’m really excited they’ve added to their fleet,” said Kuliavas. “People that are driven to build businesses continue doing so. We’d love to see that partnership with Harbour Air continue to grow, and the PC-12 is a really great airplane to make that happen.”
The PC-12 is manufactured in Switzerland and is currently the largest aircraft in the Pilatus family, with a range of up to 1,600 nautical miles.