 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Founded | 2003 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parent company | Harbour Air Seaplanes | ||||||
| Headquarters | Saltspring Island,British Columbia | ||||||
| Key people |
| ||||||
| Website | Salt Spring Air | ||||||
Salt Spring Air (also known asSaltspring Air[1]), now part ofHarbour Air Seaplanes, is afloatplane company based onSalt Spring Island,British Columbia, Canada.[2] It operates scheduled flights, charter air service and tours, with its base inGanges[3] in Harbour Air Seaplaneslivery with the Salt Spring Air name on the side of the aircraft and specializes in routes between theGulf Islands andVancouver Island.[4] Along withWest Coast Air, Harbour Air andSeair Seaplanes, Salt Spring Air is one of the four airlines that operate in theVancouver Harbour Water Airport andVancouver Harbour Flight Centre.[5] Scheduled flights by the company also operate between the Gulf Islands and theVancouver International Airport.[6]
In June 2003, St. Clair McColl started Salt Spring Air, with localseaplane services based on the Gulf Islands with a four-seatCessna 185. The airline's services were targeted to the islands' residents, and personalized services were offered. Since then, with the introduction ofde Havilland Beavers in 2004, the company's fleet has grown to four planes operating six scheduled flights from Salt Spring Island to Vancouver, and other scheduled flights fly to various other locations on the Gulf Islands. It remains the only airline based on Salt Spring Island.[7]
During what began as a routine flight on March 19, 2007, McColl rescued a father and son from the frigid waters of theStrait of Georgia after a passenger noticed their capsized boat and notified McColl. The pilot and his two passengers were later honoured by the Lifesaving Society of British Columbia for the rescue.[8][9]
In November 2015, Salt Spring Air was purchased by theHarbour Air Seaplanes Group which operates in Harbour Air Seaplaneslivery with Salt Spring Air name. Salt Spring Air's fleet now joins Harbour Air Seaplanes, Westcoast Air, and Whistler Air as the largest all seaplane airline in the world.
.svg)
