Our Aviation Consultant Captain Kieran O Connor is handling the Aircraft Operating Certificate (AOC) from the Irish Aviation Authority on our behalf. Initially, we will be operating a Cessna 172 and a Cessna 206. By year two we hope to add a Cessna 208 to the fleet and by the third year, a 19 seat De Havilland Twin Otter.

All of the bookings will be handled through our main office in Mounthshannon and will be accessible through our on line booking facility.

At all of the other locations throughout the country we have linked to various hotels and attraction centers where we will be locating our check in facilities.

For all of our destinations, the flight time has been estimated to be between ten and forty minutes. We are allowing a 25 minute turn around at each location. (If Ryan Air can do this with a 737 we can do it with a 9 seat aircraft).

For operations, the year has been divided up into two sections;

Schedule 1

Winter period covering the months of October, November, December, January, February and March. This has a total of 180 days and we will operate approximately 8 legs per day.

Schedule 2

Spring Summer. Covering the months of March through to the end of September. This has a total of 180 days and we will operate approximately 14 legs per day.

To-date we have been approached by a large number of hotels who operate on the river Shannon who have canvassed us to put on charter flights from Dublin to their properties. We have also been approached by a number of towns and villages who are situated adjacent to rivers, lakes and estuaries and they likewise are requesting that we consider their locations when developing our expansion plans.

This will be examined on a singular and more importantly, operational and financial basis.

Climate

One of the major questions is “Will the sea plane be able to operate in Irish weather conditions?”

Harbour Air Vancouver; operate approximately 100 flights a day from Vancouver mainland to Vancouver Island which vary in distance from 35 to 100 miles. Vancouver has a very similar climate to Ireland and is on the same approximate latitude. Harbour Flights will only operate during daylight hours.