Tailwind Air connects Manhattan and Boston by seaplane

Air taxi operator Tailwind Air Service (PGN, Farmingdale) has announced the launch of the first nonstop seaplane connection from New York Skyports SPB in Manhattan to Boston Harbor SPB on Tuesday, August 3, 2021.

The daily 75-minute flight operated on weekdays from August through November will be the fastest connection between Manhattan and Boston Harbour, from where a dedicated, seven-minute water taxi will transfer travellers to the South Boston waterfront. The service will cut conventional flight times by 40-60%, by allowing passengers to avoid congestion at Boston, as well as lengthy check-in and security procedures, the company said in a statement.

Flights will be operated with eight-seater Cessna (single turboprop) Grand Caravan EX amphibians and will be sold as a codeshare with Southern Airways Express (9X, Memphis Int’l). According to Southern’s website, the company operates more than 30 aircraft, including Cessna Caravans and Grand Caravans, Piper (twin turboprop) Chieftains, and the Cessna (twin piston) Citation Bravo.

Tailwind Air plans to add additional routes in 2022, as well as to introduce electric seaplane technology, and explore innovations in urban air mobility. The carrier currently flies to and from Manhattan, Montauk, East Hampton Airport, and Shelter Island on a regular schedule. It recently also announced weekday commuter flights to its base at Bridgeport, Connecticut.

The US Department of Transportation (DOT), in a regulatory notice on July 28, 2021, confirmed its oral communication of July 13, 2021, that Tailwind Air was authorised to conduct scheduled passenger operations as a commuter air carrier using small aircraft pursuant to 14 CFR Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) effective from July 13, and reissued Tailwind’s commuter air carrier authorisation to reflect this effective date.

“By reconnecting Boston and New York City via seaplane, we will more closely unite two urban cores,” commented Tailwind Air founder and chief executive Alan Ram. The Manhattan Skyport opened in 1936, hosting popular seaplane travel for decades. Seaplane operations have been part of the core transportation landscape of cities such as Seattle, Miami, and Vancouver for nearly 100 years.