West Coast Air
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Defunct | 2015 |
| Fate | Merged into Harbour Air Seaplanes |
| Headquarters | Vancouver , Canada |
Area served | British Columbia, Canada |
| Products | Scheduled flights, sightseeing tours, private charters |
West Coast Air was a Canadian scheduled airline specializing in de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter floatplanes, which was eventually merged into Harbour Air Seaplanes.
History
On March 31, 2010, Harbour Air Seaplanes, based in Vancouver, acquired West Coast Air and unified their terminal operations and services. The entire fleet was absorbed by Harbour Air, leading to the retirement of the West Coast Air brand and the adoption of the Harbour Air identity across all aircraft.
Prior to this merger, West Coast Air provided scheduled flights departing from downtown Vancouver and the Richmond floatplane base at Vancouver International Airport, serving destinations including Victoria, Nanaimo, Comox, the Sunshine Coast, and Whistler. Additionally, it offered sightseeing tours and private charter services.
Destinations
As of February 2010, operating under Harbour Air Seaplanes:
- Comox
- Jervis Inlet (Earl's Cove, Chatterbox Falls)
- Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome (Nanaimo)
- Sechelt
- Vancouver Harbour Water Aerodrome (Vancouver)
- Vancouver International Water Aerodrome (Richmond)
- Victoria Inner Harbour Airport (Victoria)
- Whistler (seasonal: May through September)
Fleet
By June 2015, the West Coast Air fleet had been fully merged into Harbour Air’s operations and repainted with Harbour Air’s livery.
Accidents
- On November 1, 2000, a West Coast Air de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter suffered an engine failure shortly after takeoff from Vancouver Harbour Water Aerodrome on a flight bound for Victoria. Although the aircraft maintained speeds above stall threshold, it impacted the water approximately 25 seconds later. All two crew members and 15 passengers escaped without injury. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada identified that pilot training did not incorporate sufficiently realistic emergency scenarios due to limited simulator availability. In response to this event, West Coast Air improved its training protocols to focus more intensively on handling aircraft emergencies and procedures for power loss at low altitudes.
See also
External links
- 1996 establishments in British Columbia
- 2015 disestablishments in British Columbia
- Canadian companies established in 1996
- Canadian companies disestablished in 2015
- Companies based in Vancouver
- Regional airlines of British Columbia
- Defunct companies of British Columbia
- Defunct airlines of Canada
- Defunct seaplane operators
- Airlines established in 1996
- Airlines disestablished in 2015