Harbour Air Makes First Point-to-Point Flight with Electric Beaver

On Wednesday, the so-called eBeaver made its first point-to-point flight—a 45 sm journey from Harbour Air’s terminal adjacent to Vancouver International Airport (CYVR) to Pat Bay, near Victoria International Airport (CYYJ). After landing, the eBeaver had ample reserve battery power remaining, Harbour Air said. 

The Harbour Air experimental eBeaver has been converted to a lithium-ion-battery-enabled 750-hp all-electric motor manufactured by Seattle-based magniX. The airline aims to achieve certification to begin all-electric commercial flights with passengers as soon as next year.

“I am excited to report that this historic flight on the eplane went exactly as planned,” said Kory Paul, a Harbour Air test pilot and vice president of flight operations. “Our team as well as the team at magniX and Transport Canada are always closely monitoring the aircraft’s performance, and today’s flight further proved the safety and reliability of what we have built.’’

Harbour Air has been pioneering development of all-electric flight since the first successful eBeaver flight test in 2019. The company operates a de Havilland fleet of Beavers, DHC-3 Otters, and DHC-6 Twin Otters to carry local commuters and tourists.

The airline—which carries more than 500,000 passengers on 30,000 commercial flights per year—has set a goal to eventually convert its entire fleet to all-electric aircraft.