There’s a new way to travel between Boston and New York, with seaplane airline Tailwind announcing a brand new point-to-point service. Starting August 3rd, passengers will be able to hop between Manhattan and Boston Harbor in just 75 minutes. With super-short check-in times and highly convenient arrival locations, the service will be a gamechanger for those commuting between the cities.
Boston to Manhattan in just 75 minutes
Prolific seaplane operator Tailwind has announced the start of a new and much-anticipated service connecting New York’s Manhattan with Boston Harbor. The flights are the first scheduled service to use the new Boston Harbor Seaplane Base (BNH) and will cut travel time between the cities by as much as 80%.
The airline promises to convey its passengers between the heart of Manhattan and the city of Boston in just 75 minutes. For busy commuters, this is an exciting alternative to sitting for hours in cars or enduring the stresses of commercial airports to get between the cities.
CEO and Founder of Tailwind Air, Alan Ram, commented on the service launch, stating,
“By offering nonstop, weekday flights at peak hours to and from Manhattan and Boston Harbor, we present exclusive time savings over all other modes of transportation, at a reasonable price premium. Our service combines the accessibility of the train with the speed of a flight.”
The flights will be operated by Tailwind’s fleet of Cessna Grand Caravan EX amphibians. These eight-seater specialist aircraft are all less than five years old and are piloted by exceptionally trained and experienced captains. The airline already flies from Manhattan to Montauk, Easthampton, and Shelter Island, and added Bridgeport, CT to its network just last week.
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A gamechanger for commuters
At present, a transfer between Boston and New York Manhattan involves a lengthy trek, whichever way you look at it. Flying between any of the New York area airports and Boston Logan takes 90 minutes, and that’s without the added hassle of heavy traffic, long pre-flight check-in times and other time-consuming nuances.
The alternatives are to drive, which can take four to six hours, or to catch the Amtrack, with a four-hour service time. Flying Tailwind, however, reduces that travel time to just 75 minutes port to port, cutting journey times by around 50% - 80%.
Peter Manice, Director of Scheduled Operations at Tailwind, noted that,
“Seaplanes and waterway access power our exclusive service and is a game changer for travelers between these cities. No one else is doing this.”
Because the Cessnas are only eight seaters, commuters can check in as late as just 10 minutes before their flight, making it feasible to fly between cities for half-day meetings – something that is almost impossible at present. With Fortune 500 companies holding offices on both ends of the route, this new service is set to be a huge benefit to collaborative working.
The schedule
Tailwind’s new Boston flights are on sale now, and will launch on August 3rd, 2021. Flights operate between Manhattan’s New York Skyport (NYS) and Boston Harbor Seaplane Base (BNH) to the following schedule:
- Departures from BNH every day at 07:00, 10:05, 14:10 and 17:20. Arrival at NYS at 08:25, 11:30, 15:35 and 18:45.
- Departures from NYS every day at 08:00, 09:30, 14:30 and 16:45. Arrival at BNH at 09:25, 10:55, 15:55 and 18:05.
Initially, service launches will be the early morning and early afternoon departures. The late morning and late afternoon services will be added from August 21st, 2021. Fares start from $395 one way, and include all taxes, charges and government fees.
To promote the new route, Tailwind has launched a 10% discount on its published fares, which can be accessed by using the code NYSBNH when booking directly on flytailwind.com between now and August 30th, 2021.
A blast from the past
The Manhattan Skyport is not a new addition to the scenery of the island metropolis. Indeed, the facility opened almost 100 years ago, hosting seaplane services since 1936. It’s not well known, dubbed by some as New York’s best-kept secret, but it wasn’t always that way.
Back then, traveling by flying boat and seaplane was far more common than it is today. Legendary US airline Pan Am founded its business flying the Boeing 314 Clippers across the Atlantic, and smaller seaplanes made hopping around the bay quick and convenient. Even as recently as 1980, at least six operators flew from Manhattan using seaplanes.
New York’s only seaplane terminal is located on the lower East River at the foot of East 23rd Street. With even local drivers sometimes unaware of its existence, those in the know advise passengers to tell their Ubers to drive down East 23rd for as far as they can go without getting wet.
But the Boston connection is something new. Tailwind has been working for more than three years to get a spot in the harbor to land its amphibious aircraft. With permission granted, the airline will soon be arriving and taking off from the Boston channel adjacent to Logan Airport. The seaplanes dock on a floating pontoon, and passengers are transferred via a seven-minute water taxi ride.
“This new route is breaking barriers,” says Ram.
“We are grateful for the tremendous local support in Boston we have received and aim to be good neighbors and an important addition to Boston’s economic boom. We eliminate the time needed to travel to airport terminals, long security lines, check-in, board, and await the flight’s turn on the runway. We are honored to be welcomed into the Boston community as well as see continued support from Manhattan.”
The rise in popularity of seaplane flights is set to become even more attractive, as Tailwind endeavors to move its operations into the modern age. As well as eyeing more routes in 2022, the airline is exploring its options for electrifying its seaplanes, driving down carbon emissions and bringing this 100-year-old mobility solution firmly into the 21st century.