Floatplane Operator Launches NYC-Boston Harbor Service

New York-based seaplane operator Tailwind Air will launch a scheduled service between New York City and Boston Harbor starting on August 3. Running through November, the weekday schedule calls for its float-equipped Cessna Grand Caravan EXs to make four daily departures from both locations.

The cost for the 75-minute flight on its eight-passenger, single-engine turboprops, which fly from the New York Skyport at East 23^rd Street in downtown Manhattan and from a floating dock near Boston’s Logan Airport, starts at $395 one way. In Boston, a dedicated seven-minute water-taxi ride connects passengers to the South Boston waterfront. The company has its own passenger lounges at both locations, and passengers can check in as little as 10 minutes before their flight.

Tailwind had displayed interest in using Boston Harbor as far back as 2017 when its Boston-bound flights would land at Logan, and by now bypassing the airport congestion it is positioning itself as a pioneer in regional urban mobility. “No one else is doing this,” explained Peter Manice, the operator’s v-p of marketing and director of scheduled operations. “Seaplanes and waterway access fuel our service—a game-changer for travelers between these cities.”

“By offering nonstop, weekday flights at peak hours to and from Manhattan and Boston Harbor, we present exclusive time savings over all other modes of transportation, at a reasonable price premium,” added company founder and CEO Alan Ram. “Our service combines the accessibility of the train with the speed of a flight.”