Tailwind Air, the seaplane service connecting Boston and New York harbors, ceased operations last week. The service, which began in 2021, utilized a company-owned base in Boston Harbor and the 23rd St. seaplane dock in Manhattan. It employed amphibious Cessna Caravans to also serve routes from Boston to Nantucket and Provincetown, as well as from Manhattan to the Hamptons.
The primary appeal of the service was its time-saving advantage, with flights between Boston and New York taking approximately 90 minutes. CEO Alan Ram told the Boston Globe that traffic increased by 10% over the past year; however, only about 3,000 passengers flew on the Caravans during this period, which was insufficient for sustaining operations. One-way fares ranged from $400 to $800.
Ram noted that it took more than five years to secure all necessary approvals for the service. These approvals remain valid, leaving open the possibility for another group of investors to potentially revive the operation.