Weather

Up and away! Seaplane service from Boston Harbor to Cape begins in time for Memorial Day Weekend

BOSTON — Daily seaplane service from Boston Harbor to New York City has been so popular this spring, the company is expanding to include flights to Cape Cod.

Beginning this week, 20-minute flights to Provincetown will be available according to Tailwind. The company says those flights will average $300 each way.

“Our clientele is very concerned about what they can do to save time and enjoy their vacation,” said Tailwind’s director of sales, Gabriela Salas. She told Boston 25 News that higher ticket prices compared to commercial air travel have not stopped customers from booking flights.

“Well, if you compare it to the train, you know, the fares that the train offers are very compatible with ours. We start at $395 per seat, and it goes up to $795,” Salas said, discussing the current New York flights. “If you think about traveling 75 minutes and you’re in Manhattan, you don’t have to deal with TSA, no crowds. You don’t have to even be here an hour before the flight 10 minutes is enough for us.”

Repeat flyer and Belmont native Nick Delhome said he likes the convenience.

“I’m busy with work, I can’t really afford to take like the 4-6 hour trip to and from, you know, LaGuardia and Logan and stuff. And then obviously, the train is pretty long too,” Delhome added.

Salas said Tailwind also flies from Plymouth to Boston, for $75, or “about the same price as an Uber.”

Tailwind’s flights take off from Fan Pier Marina in Boston Harbor. Captain Evan Phillips told Chief Meteorologist Kevin Lemanowicz, that weather plays a role in take-off and landing on the water.

“Just a matter of learning how to read the water, and read the weather,” Capt. Phillips said. “It’s a little bit easier because the runways are set positions, were on the water, we have 360 degrees that we can land in any direction,” Phillips said.

Typically, seaplanes need a ceiling of 2,000 feet to take off from the harbor, so a cloudy day can mean rescheduling your flight.

“When we file our flight plans, we also get a weather briefing,” said Capt. Phillips. “We’re able to check that ahead of time and keep safety as the number one thing in mind.”

Salas says Tailwind is owned by veterans, and 40% of the company’s pilots are women. The company also offers charter flights. For more information visit www.flyTailwind.com/