Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre

Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre Vancouver Coal Harbour Seaplane Base
IATA: CXH – ICAO: CYHC
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	West Coast Air, Harbour Air Services, Vancouver Harbour Float Centre
Serves	Vancouver, British Columbia
Location	Coal Harbour, Burrard Inlet
Time zone	PST (UTC−08:00)
• Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC−07:00)
Elevation AMSL	0 ft / 0 m
Coordinates	49°17′40″N 123°06′41″W / 49.29444°N 123.11139°WCoordinates: 49°17′40″N 123°06′41″W / 49.29444°N 123.11139°W
Map
CYHC Location in Vancouver
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m n/a n/a n/a Water
Statistics (2012)
Aircraft movements 54,169
Sources: Canada Flight Supplement[1] Movements from Statistics Canada[2]

Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre, previously Vancouver Harbour Water Airport or Vancouver Coal Harbour Seaplane Base (IATA: CXH, ICAO: CYHC), is located at Coal Harbour in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The flight centre is within walking distance of the HeliJet heliport and Waterfront Station, a public transit hub in Downtown Vancouver.^[3]

After five years of preparation, consultation and construction, Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre seaplane terminal opened for passenger service on May 25, 2011. The Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre is a partnership between the Clarke Group of Companies and Ledcor Group of Companies.^[4]

It is classified as an airport and as an airport of entry by Nav Canada. It is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). CBSA officers at this airport can handle general aviation aircraft only, with no more than 15 passengers.^[1]

Control tower

Vancouver Harbour Control Tower

The Vancouver Harbour Control Tower is the only one in Canada specifically for a water aerodrome. At 142 m (466 ft) above ground it is the highest control tower in the world.^[5][6] and is located on top of the Granville Square building. In 2009 the airport handled 54,741 aircraft movements, the 35th busiest in Canada.^[2] It is also the 8th busiest aerodrome in BC and the busiest water aerodrome in Canada. Itinerant aircraft movements (from one airport to another) for the aerodrome were 54,711 while local movements were 30.^[2]

Operations

A Whistler Air de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver docked at Vancouver Harbour Water Airport

The actual aircraft docking area, at 49°17′26.44″N 123°07′08.90″W / 49.2906778°N 123.1191389°W, is situated just west of Canada Place. This part of Vancouver harbour is listed by Nav Canada as a restricted area and no aircraft are permitted to take off, land or move through the zone at a high speed. Just north of Canada Place is a rectangular section called "Area Alfa", centered on the official coordinates, which is the main aircraft operating zone.^[1]

In 2007, the link to Victoria Inner Harbour Airport was, according to the Official Airline Guide, Canada's busiest air route by the number of weekly flights.^[7]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Harbour Air	Bedwell Harbour, Ganges, Maple Bay, Nanaimo Harbour, Sechelt, Victoria Harbour
Helijet	Nanaimo Harbour, Victoria Harbour, Vancouver Airport, province-wide medevac service
Salt Spring Air operated by Harbour Air	Bedwell Harbour, Ganges, Maple Bay, Patricia Bay, Victoria Harbour
Seair Seaplanes	Nanaimo Harbour
Tofino Air operated by Sunshine Coast Air[8]	Charter: Nanaimo Harbour, Sechelt
West Coast Air operated by Harbour Air	Victoria Harbour, Nanaimo Harbour, Comox
Whistler Air operated by Harbour Air	Seasonal: Whistler/Green Lake

See also

• Vancouver Harbour Control Tower
• List of airports in the Vancouver area

References

1. Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 15 September 2016 to 0901Z 10 November 2016
2. Total aircraft movements by class of operation — NAV CANADA towers
3. "Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre to Open May 25 2011". Ledcor. Ledcor Group of Industries. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
4. "Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre to Open May 25 2011". Ledcor.com. Ledcor. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
5. Nav Canada Towers–Big and Small
6. Vancouver Harbour ATC
7. OAG reveals latest industry intelligence on the busiest routes
8. Sunshine Coast AirSeaplanes

External links

• CXH - Vancouver, British Columbia (Coal Harbour SPB)
• Accident history for CXH: Vancouver-Coal Harbour SPB at Aviation Safety Network