Harbor Airlines

{{Short description|American airline from 1971 to 2001}} {{ distinguish|text = Bar Harbor Airlines or Harbour Air Seaplanes}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2018}} {{Infobox airline | airline=Harbor Airlines| logo=Harbor Airlines 1998 logo.jpg| logo_size=100px| IATA=HB| ICAO=HAR| callsign=HARBOR| founded={{start date and age|1971|03}}| ceased={{end date and age|2001}}| headquarters={{unbulleted list|Oak Harbor (1971–1996)|Gig Harbor (1996–2001)}}| key_people={{unbulleted list|Wes Lupien|{{small|(founder, owner 1971–1996)}}|Richard Boehlke|{{nowrap|{{small|(owner, president, CEO 1996–2001)}}}}}}| bases={{unbulleted list|Seattle–Tacoma Airport|Oak Harbor Airport}}| focus_cities=| fleet_size=| destinations=| |image=|aoc=|hubs=|frequent_flyer=|parent=|num_employees=100 (2001) }}

'''Harbor Airlines''' (also known as '''Harbor Air''') was a commuter airline from the United States, which existed from 1971 to 2001. Based at Oak Harbor, Washington, it operated regional passenger flights in the Puget Sound area.

==History== The airline was founded as '''Oak Harbor Airlines''' by Jerry Petterson and Wes Lupien (the owner of Oak Harbor Airport) in March 1971.<ref name="fg81">{{cite journal|last=Stroud|first=Michael|last2=Cook|first2=John|date=November 7, 1981|title=Commuter Airlines directory|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1981/1981%20-%203502.html|journal=Flight International|volume=120|page=1402|access-date=May 18, 2018}}</ref> In May 1974, it shortened its name to simply '''Harbor Airlines'''.<ref name=fg81/> In the early 1980s, the airline served the Puget Sound area of Washington state.<ref name=fg81/>

In the mid-1970s, the airline's fleet comprised five BN-2A Islander craft.<ref name="fg75" /> By the early 1980s, an Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante had been added to the fleet.<ref name="fg81" /> By 2001, these had been replaced with five Cessna Grand Caravan.<ref name="islander">{{cite news|url=http://oldsite.sanjuanislander.com/port/fh/harbor-air.html|title=Port issues ultimatum to Harbor Air|last=|date=March 22, 2001|journal=San Juan Islander|access-date=December 4, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131203210548/http://oldsite.sanjuanislander.com/port/fh/harbor-air.html|archive-date=December 3, 2013|url-status=dead|location=Washington (state), United States|at=Port of Seattle terminates Harbor Air lease|via=archive.today}}</ref>

In 1996, the company was bought by Richard Boehlke and subsequently moved its headquarters from Oak Harbor to Gig Harbor.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=TNTB&d_place=TNTB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EFC4EBD8F994BD2&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Harbor Airlines|last=|date=August 11, 1999|journal=The News Tribune|access-date=December 4, 2013|location=Tacoma, Washington|via=NewsBank|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Over the following years, Harbor Airlines encountered a series of financial problems, which culminated in being evicted from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (the most important destination in its route network) in March 2001 due to unpaid bills worth {{US$|100,000}}.<ref name="Seattle-PI">{{cite news|last=Leff|first=Marni|title=Harbor Air halts San Juan flights|date=June 15, 2001|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Harbor-Air-halts-San-Juan-flights-1057413.php|newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|access-date=May 18, 2018}}</ref><ref name="yakima">{{cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-18440211.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140610074223/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-18440211.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 10, 2014|title=Harbor Air Evicted from Sea-Tac Airport|last=|date=March 26, 2001|newspaper=Yakima Herald-Republic|agency=Associated Press|url-access=}}</ref> The airline reacted by relocating its flights to nearby Boeing Field.<ref name="Seattle-PI" />

In a 1999 ranking of regional and commuter airlines by total passenger enplanements, Harbor Airlines ranked 40th out of 50.<ref>{{Cite report|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=thY5qRcJ3RcC|title=FAA Aerospace Forecasts—Fiscal Years 2000–2011|last=Office of Aviation Policy and Plans|first=Federal Aviation Administration|date=March 2000|publisher=United States Department of Transportation|page=IV–8|access-date=May 18, 2018|via=Google Books}}</ref>

In early May 2001, Harbor Airlines suspended all flight activities and its then 100 employees were dismissed.<ref name="Seattle-PI" /> The company's bankruptcy also affected Oak Harbor Airport, of which Harbor Airlines was still the owner.<ref name="Seattle-PI" />

==Route network== Upon closure, Harbor Airlines offered scheduled flights from Seattle to Oak Harbor, Orcas Island, Port Angeles and San Juan Island,<ref name=Seattle-PI/> and maintained codeshare agreements with Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air.<ref name=islander/>

In the mid 1970s, destinations included Seattle, Oak Harbor, Bellingham, and Hoquiam in Washington State; and Astoria and Portland in Oregon.<ref name="fg75">{{cite journal|last=Endres|first=Günter|date=February 13, 1975|title=Third-level airlines: Country-by-country guide|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1975/1975%20-%200306.html|journal=Flight International|volume=107|page=258|access-date=May 18, 2018}}</ref> Hoquiam began as a destination in July 1974 when Harbor took over a route from Hughes Airwest, but was discontinued in January 1975 due to lack of business.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20192187/airlines_to_quit_harbor/|title=Airlines to quit Harbor|last=|date=January 31, 1975|work=The Daily Chronicle|access-date=May 18, 2018|agency=Associated Press|location=Spokane, Washington|page=12|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> In 1979 and 1981, destinations which could be reached directly from Seattle were Bellingham, Oak Harbor and Mount Vernon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.departedflights.com/SEA79intro.html|title=Airlines and Aircraft Serving Seattle/Tacoma Effective November 15, 1979|last=|date=|website=Official Airline Guide: Historic Flight Schedules|publisher=DepartedFlights.com|access-date=May 18, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.departedflights.com/SEA81intro.html|title=Airlines and Aircraft Serving Seattle/Tacoma Effective April 1, 1981|last=|date=|website=Official Airline Guide: Historic Flight Schedules|publisher=DepartedFlights.com|access-date=May 18, 2018}}</ref> An international route to Canada, linking Seattle (via Bellingham) with Vancouver, was inaugurated on June 12, 1981.<ref name=fg81/>

==Accidents and incidents== Harbor Airlines suffered one fatal accident, which occurred on December 26, 1974, in snowy weather conditions. Flight 308, a Britten-Norman Islander (registered N66HA) en route from Seattle to Oak Harbor crashed in Riverton, Washington four minutes after takeoff, killing four of the six occupants (the pilot and three passengers) on board. A fourth passenger died of their injuries several days after the crash while in hospital.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20193223/crash_victim_dies_of_injuries/|title=Crash victim dies of injuries|last=|date=December 30, 1974|work=The Daily Chronicle|access-date=May 18, 2018|agency=Associated Press|location=Spokane, Washington|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> This was an urban crash, landing in the middle of a street and striking power lines on its way down. During the subsequent investigation, an unknown substance was found inside the pitot tubes of the aircraft, which had caused unreliable airspeed readings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19741226-1|title=ASN Aircraft accident Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander N66HA Seattle/Tacoma International Airport, WA (SEA)|last=Ranter|first=Harro|date=|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=May 18, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20192477/plane_crash_kills_three_in_seattle/|title=Plane Crash Kills Three In Seattle|last=|date=December 27, 1974|work=Independent-Journal|access-date=May 18, 2018|agency=United Press International|location=San-Rafael, California|page=8|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20192970/akronite_hurt_in_fatal_crash/|title=Akronite hurt in fatal crash|last=|date=December 27, 1974|work=Massillon Independent|access-date=May 18, 2018|agency=Associated Press|location=Massillon, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

Category:1971 establishments in Washington (state) Category:2001 disestablishments in Washington (state) Category:Airlines disestablished in 2001 Category:Airlines established in 1971 Category:American companies established in 1971 Category:Defunct companies based in Washington (state) Category:Defunct regional airlines of the United States Category:Oak Harbor, Washington