Vancouver Island Air

From Dominion of British Columbia
Vancouver Island Air
Headquarters 2870 Spit Road
Campbell River CR1 6EC
IATA code VL
ICAO code VIA
Call sign VAN ISLE AIR
Hubs Campbell River Airport, Campbell River (main)
Sir Raymond Collishaw Int'l Airport, Nanaimo
Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome, Nanaimo
Services Scheduled domestic

Vancouver Island Air is a commercial airline in British Columbia offering scheduled domestic services to 29 destinations with both land-based aircraft and seaplanes.

History

Vancouver Island Air was established in 1966. In 1988, it absorbed Sunshine Coast Air. VIA holds the distinction of being the last remaining operator of the Short Sealand seaplane.

Following two crashes in three months of the type, the remaining Grumman Goose seaplanes were retired in November 2008.

Incidents

  • 8 May 1991: DHC-3 Otter VB-VIJ (c/n 326/1959), operating as Flight VL 215 from Nanaimo to Tofino, crashed near Cameron Lake, about 36 miles northwest of Nanaimo. The pilot made several attempts to proceed west via preferred VFR routes, however, low ceilings prevented him from doing so. He continued south between two mountains, but due to the wind conditions and terrain proximity he decided to turn around. He entered a steep downwind left turn, but the aircraft settled into the trees. The wings separated on contact with trees. The pilot reported that subsiding air was encountered during the turn. The pilot and six passengers sustained minor injuries, the remaining four passengers suffers serious injuries, but all survived.
  • 27 September 1995: Short Sealand VB-SLE (c/n SH.1769/1953), operating as Flight VL 118 from Alert Bay to Campbell River, crashed into a mountainside near Morte Lake on Quadra Island. Approaching Campbell River, the pilot requested and received a special visual flight rules (SVFR) clearance to enter the Campbell River control zone. While on an intercept heading for the final approach and in straight-and-level flight, the aircraft crashed into the mountainside at about the 860-foot level approximately 8.1 miles from Campbell River. The investigation concluded that "the pilot progressively lost situational awareness while attempting to navigate in conditions of low visibility or in cloud and was unaware of the rapidly rising terrain in his flight path. Contributing to this accident were the existing visual flight regulations and the prevailing industry attitudes and practices which did not provide adequate safety margins." The pilot and seven of the nine passengers were killed.
  • 3 August 2008: Grumman Goose VB-GSB (c/n B98/1944) with seven passengers and crew crashed during scheduled Flight VL 66 from Port Hardy to Campbell River. The aircraft was completely destroyed by a fire. There were only two survivors.
  • 16 November 2008: Grumman Goose VB-GSE (c/n B101/1944) with eight passengers and crew crashed on South Thormanby Island near Sechelt off British Columbia's Sunshine Coast in bad weather during scheduled Flight VL 430 from New Westminster to Ucluelet, BC. Only one passenger survived.

Fleet

Vancouver Island Air operates a total of 20 aircraft.

  • DHBC-6 Twin Otter - 7 (1972 to date), floatplanes, two delivered new, two inherited from Sunshine Coast Air, three acquired second-hand from Atlin Air and converted to floatplanes, to be converted to DHBC-6E eOtter by 2026.
  • Viking DHC-2T Turbo Beaver - 3 (2010 to date), delivered new
  • Dornier SeaStar - 4 (2018 to date), +2 on order to be delivered by 2024; launch customer
  • Short Sealand - 2 (1988 to date), inherited from Sunshine Coast Air, to be retired by 2024
  • Sukhoi Su-80 - 5 (2019 to date), +3 on order to be delivered by 2026

Historic

BC-made aircraft

Note: a green background indicates an aircraft in service, a yellow background indicates a retired aircraft, and a pink background indicates an aircraft lost in an accident.

Type Registration C/n Blt Acquisition Disposal
DHBC-6 Twin Otter VB-VIA C854 1966 1966, delivered new 2015, retired
DHBC-6 Twin Otter VB-VIB C855 1967 1967, delivered new 2015, retired
DHBC-6 Twin Otter VB-VIC C1167 1971 1971, delivered new 2015, retired
DHBC-6 Twin Otter VB-VID C1168 1971 1971, delivered new 2015, retired
DHBC-6 Twin Otter VB-VIE C1055 1970 1972, bought from Atlin Air, fitted with floats in service
DHBC-6 Twin Otter VB-VIF C1056 1970 1972, bought from Atlin Air, fitted with floats in service
DHBC-6 Twin Otter VB-VIG C1096 1970 1972, bought from Atlin Air, fitted with floats in service
DHBC-6 Twin Otter VB-VIH C1560 1976 1976, delivered new; float-equipped in service
DHBC-6 Twin Otter VB-VII C1561 1976 1976, delivered new; float-equipped in service
DHBC-6 Twin Otter VB-SUN C1040 1969 1988, inherited from Sunshine Coast Air, float-equipped in service
DHBC-6 Twin Otter VB-SUP C1336 1973 1988, inherited from Sunshine Coast Air, float-equipped in service

Other aircraft

Type Registration C/n Blt Acquisition Disposal
De Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter VB-VIJ 326 1959 1984, bought from US Army (USA) 1991, destroyed
Dornier SeaStar VB-VIA 0303 2018 2018, delivered new in service
Dornier SeaStar VB-VIB 0304 2019 2019, delivered new in service
Dornier SeaStar VB-VIC 0318 2020 2020, delivered new in service
Dornier SeaStar VB-VIW 0333 2023 2023, delivered new in service
Dornier SeaStar VB-VIX - - - on order
Dornier SeaStar VB-VIY - - - on order
Embraer EMB-120RT VB-VIK 120126 1989 1989, delivered new 2023, retired
Embraer EMB-120RT VB-VIL 120146 1989 1989, delivered new 2023, retired
Embraer EMB-120RT VB-VIM 120165 1989 1989, delivered new 2023, retired
Grumman JRF-2 Goose VB-GSA 1077 1940 1988, inherited from Sunshine Coast Air 2008, retired; preserved at Campbell River Airport
Grumman JRF-5 Goose VB-GSB B98 1944 1988, inherited from Sunshine Coast Air 2008, destroyed
Grumman JRF-5 Goose VB-GSC B107 1944 1988, inherited from Sunshine Coast Air 2008, retired
Grumman JRF-6 Goose VB-GSD B145 1945 1988, inherited from Sunshine Coast Air 1990, sold to Haida Air
Grumman JRF-5 Goose VB-GSE B101 1944 1988, inherited from Sunshine Coast Air 2008, destroyed
Grumman JRF-5 Goose VB-GSG B117 1945 1988, inherited from Sunshine Coast Air 2000, sold to private buyer (BC)
Short SA.6 Sealand VB-SLA SH.1763 1953 1988, inherited from Sunshine Coast Air in service
Short SA.6 Sealand VB-SLB SH.1765 1953 1988, inherited from Sunshine Coast Air 2010, retired
Short SA.6 Sealand VB-SLC SH.1766 1953 1988, inherited from Sunshine Coast Air 2013, retired
Short SA.6 Sealand VB-SLD SH.1767 1953 1988, inherited from Sunshine Coast Air in service
Short SA.6 Sealand VB-SLE SH.1769 1953 1988, inherited from Sunshine Coast Air 1995, destroyed
Sukhoi Su-80 VB-VID 83099 2019 2019, delivered new in service
Sukhoi Su-80 VB-VIP 83138 2021 2021, delivered new in service
Sukhoi Su-80 VB-VIQ 83153 2022 2022, delivered new in service
Sukhoi Su-80 VB-VIR 83154 2022 2022, delivered new in service
Sukhoi Su-80 VB-VIS 83191 2023 2023, delivered new in service
Sukhoi Su-80 VB-VIT - - - on order
Sukhoi Su-80 VB-VIU - - - on order
Sukhoi Su-80 VB-VIV - - - on order
Viking DHC-2T Turbo Beaver VB-VIJ 1697 2010 2010, delivered new in service
Viking DHC-2T Turbo Beaver VB-VIN 1698 2010 2010, delivered new in service
Viking DHC-2T Turbo Beaver VB-VIO 1699 2011 2011, delivered new in service

Routes

Entries with a green background indicates a destination in British Columbia.

Airport Service area Destination Aircraft Notes
Alert Bay (XAY) Domestic Campbell River (XCB) DHC-2T
Bamfield (XBF) Domestic Nanaimo Harbour (XZN) Sealand, Seastar Seaplane service
Boundary Bay/Delta (XDT) Domestic Nanaimo (XRC) Su-80
Campbell River (XCB) Domestic Alert Bay (XAY) DHC-2T
Duncan (XDU) DHC-2T
Nanaimo (XRC) Su-80
Port Alberni (XPB) DHBC-6
Port Hardy (XPY) DHBC-6
Port McNeill (XLL) DHC-2T
Quatsino (XQT) DHBC-6, Su-80
Squamish (XSS) DHBC-6, Su-80
Texada Island (XGB) DHC-2T
Tisquit (XTQ) DHBC-6
Tofino (XAZ) DHBC-6, Su-80
Woss (XWS) DHC-2T
Campbell River Harbour (XHC) Domestic Ganges (XGS) Seastar Seaplane service
Ocean Falls (XOF) Sealand, Seastar Seaplane service
Tahsis (XTS) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
Ucluelet (XUU) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
Zeballos (XZS) Seastar Seaplane service
Comox (XCX) Domestic Nanaimo (XRC) DHBC-6
Courtenay (XSF) Domestic Nanaimo (XRC) DHC-2T, DHBC-6
Duncan (XDU) Domestic Campbell River (XCB) DHC-2T
Ganges (XGS) Domestic Campbell River Harbour (XHC) Seastar Seaplane service
Nanaimo Harbour (XZN) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
New Westminster (XNW) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
Nanaimo (Collishaw) (XRC) Domestic Boundary Bay (XDT) EMB-120, Su-80
Campbell River (XCB) Su-80
Comox (XCX) DHBC-6
Courtenay (XSF) DHC-2T, DHBC-6
Quatsino (XQT) Su-80
Squamish (XSS) Su-80
Tisquit (XTQ) DHBC-6
Tofino (XAZ) Su-80
Nanaimo Harbour (XZN) Domestic Bamfield (XBF) Sealand, SeaStar Seaplane service
Ganges (XGS) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
New Westminster (XNW) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
Sechelt (XSC) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
Sullivan Bay (XSU) Seastar Seaplane service
Tahsis (XTS) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
Ucluelet (XUU) DHBC-6, Seastar Seaplane service
Whistler-Green Lake (XGL) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
Zeballos (XZS) Seastar Seaplane service
New Westminster (XNW) Domestic Ganges (XGS) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
Nanaimo Harbour (XZN) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
Sechelt (XSC) Seastar Seaplane service
Tahsis (XTS) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
Ucluelet (XUU) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
Ocean Falls (XOF) Domestic Campbell River Harbour (XHC) Sealand, Seastar Seaplane service
Port Alberni (XPB) Domestic Campbell River (XCB) DHBC-6
Quatsino (XQT) Su-80, Twin Otter
Port Hardy (XPY) Domestic Campbell River (XCB) DHBC-6
Port McNeill (XLL) Domestic Campbell River (XCB) DHC-2T
Quatsino (XQT) Domestic Campbell River (XCB) DHBC-6, Su-80
Nanaimo (XRC) Su-80
Port Alberni (XPB) Su-80, Twin Otter
Sechelt (XSC) Domestic Nanaimo Harbour (XZN) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
New Westminster (XNW) Seastar Seaplane service
Squamish (XSS) Domestic Campbell River (XCB) DHBC-6, Su-80
Nanaimo (XRC) Su-80
Sullivan Bay (XSU) Domestic Nanaimo Harbour (XZN) Seastar Seaplane service
Tahsis (XTS) Domestic Campbell River Harbour (XHC) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
Nanaimo Harbour (XZN) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
New Westminster (XNW) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
Ucluelet (XUU) Seastar Seaplane service
Texada Island (XGB) Domestic Campbell River (XCB) DHC-2T
Tisquit (XTQ) Domestic Campbell River (XCB) DHBC-6
Nanaimo (XRC) DHBC-6
Tofino (XAZ) Domestic Campbell River (XCB) DHBC-6, Su-80
Nanaimo (XRC) Su-80
Ucluelet (XUU) Domestic Campbell River Harbour (XHC) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
Nanaimo Harbour (XZN) DHBC-6, Seastar Seaplane service
New Westminster (XNW) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
Tahsis (XTS) Seastar Seaplane service
Zeballos (XZS) Seastar Seaplane service
Whistler–Green Lake (XGL) Domestic Nanaimo Harbour (XZN) DHBC-6 Seaplane service
Woss (XWS) Domestic Campbell River (XBC) DHC-2T
Zeballos (XZS) Domestic Campbell River Harbour (XHC) Seastar Seaplane service
Nanaimo Harbour (XZN) Seastar Seaplane service
Ucluelet (XUU) Seastar Seaplane service