Harbor Airlines
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | March 1971 |
| Founder | Wes Lupien, Jerry Petterson |
| Defunct | May 2001 |
| Fate | Ceased operations; bankruptcy |
| Headquarters | Gig Harbor, Washington , United States |
Area served | Puget Sound region, Washington state, United States |
Key people | Richard Boehlke (owner and CEO from 1996) |
Number of employees | 100 (2001) |
Harbor Airlines, also referred to as Harbor Air, was a United States-based commuter airline that operated from 1971 until ceasing operations in 2001. Initially headquartered in Oak Harbor, Washington, the airline specialized in providing regional passenger services within the Puget Sound vicinity.
History
The airline was originally established as Oak Harbor Airlines in March 1971 by Wes Lupien, an entrepreneur and proprietor of Oak Harbor Airport, alongside Jerry Petterson. In May 1974, the company adopted the name Harbor Airlines. Throughout the early 1980s, it operated within the Puget Sound area, expanding its fleet from five BN-2A Islander aircraft to include an Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante. By 2001, the fleet had transitioned to five Cessna Grand Caravan planes.
Ownership changed hands in 1996 when Richard Boehlke acquired Harbor Airlines and moved its headquarters to Gig Harbor, Washington. Under Boehlke’s leadership as owner and CEO, the airline encountered mounting financial difficulties. These issues culminated in March 2001 with eviction from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport—a key operational base—due to outstanding debts exceeding . Following this, operations were relocated to nearby Boeing Field.
Although Harbor Airlines ranked 40th in passenger boardings among regional and commuter carriers in 1999, it struggled to maintain business viability. The company ceased all flight operations in May 2001 and terminated its workforce of approximately 100 employees. The airline’s bankruptcy also affected Oak Harbor Airport, which remained under Harbor Airlines' ownership at that time.
Route network
At the time of its closure, Harbor Airlines ran scheduled flights connecting Seattle with Oak Harbor, Orcas Island, Port Angeles, and San Juan Island. It maintained codeshare agreements with both Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. During the mid-1970s, its service network included Seattle, Oak Harbor, Bellingham, and Hoquiam in Washington, as well as Astoria and Portland in Oregon. Service to Hoquiam commenced in July 1974 following acquisition of a route from Hughes Airwest, but this was discontinued by January 1975 due to insufficient demand. By 1979 and again in 1981, direct flights from Seattle served Bellingham, Oak Harbor, and Mount Vernon. On June 12, 1981, an international route was introduced connecting Vancouver, Canada via Bellingham.
Accidents and incidents
Harbor Airlines experienced a single fatal accident on December 26, 1974. Flight 308, operated by a Britten-Norman Islander (N66HA) on a Seattle to Oak Harbor route, crashed shortly after departure amid snowy weather near Riverton, Washington. Four of the six individuals aboard died immediately; a fifth passenger later succumbed to injuries sustained. The crash occurred within a populated area and caused damage to power lines. Investigations determined that contamination obstructing the aircraft’s pitot tubes resulted in unreliable airspeed indications.
See also
- 1971 establishments in Washington (state)
- 2001 disestablishments in Washington (state)
- Airlines disestablished in 2001
- Airlines established in 1971
- American companies established in 1971
- Defunct companies based in Washington (state)
- Defunct regional airlines of the United States
- Oak Harbor, Washington
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment