Tailwind Air Explained

Tailwind Air should not be confused with Tailwind Airlines.

Airline:Tailwind Air LLC
Fleet Size:16[1]
Destinations:5
Iata:TQ
Icao:PGN
Callsign:PEREGRINE
Founded:2014
Ceased:2024
Headquarters:Rye Brook, NY
Key People:Shane Reynolds
Michael Siegel
Alan Ram
Peter Manice
Wensley Barker
Hubs:
Sikorsky Memorial Airport (Connecticut)
Boston Harbor Seaplane Base
Focus Cities:
New York Skyports Inc. Seaplane Base
New York City
Boston Harbor Seaplane Base
Westchester County Airport
Website:http://flytailwind.com/

Tailwind Air LLC was an American commuter scheduled air carrier and charter airline based in Westchester Airport and Sikorsky Memorial Airport. Its main seaplane base was New York Skyports Seaplane Base (NYS) and it also owned its own Boston Harbor seaplane base (MA17), near Logan International Airport in Boston.[2] The airline had a sister company named Tailwind Air, LLC, which charters and manages a fleet of land planes.

History

Tailwind operated scheduled and charter seaplane services out of the 23rd Street Seaplane base in Manhattan (NYS). Tailwind serviced Boston Logan Airport, Boston Harbor Seaplane Base, Shelter Island, Bridgeport, and the East Hampton Airport and Nantucket Airport with multiple shuttle flights. Initial competitors on these routes included Amtrak and Delta's and American Airlines' hourly shuttle services. Tailwind intended to move its routes to all water airports after regulatory approval. The routes were not serviced by any existing seaplane operator. In-flight service included complimentary snacks and beverages.

Tailwind Air ceased scheduled services in early 2024 and is currently charter-only. The airline reported that scheduled operations had not reached profitability, and they failed to get a large enough investment to continue slow growth in ticketing.[3]

Destinations

Tailwind operated flights to the following destinations:[4] [5]

List of destinations
City Country (subdivision) Code Airport Notes
United States (New York) NYS
Shelter IslandUnited States (New York) SH1Sunset Beach
BridgeportUnited States (Connecticut)BDRSikorsky Memorial Airport
BostonUnited States (Massachusetts)BNHBoston Harbor Seaplane BaseService began on August 3, 2021[6]
NantucketUnited States (Massachusetts)ACKNantucket Memorial AirportService began on May 17, 2023[7]
PlymouthUnited States (Massachusetts)PYMPlymouth Municipal Airport
ProvincetownUnited States (Massachusetts)PVCProvincetown Municipal AirportService began on May 25, 2022[8]
NewportUnited States (Rhode Island)NPTNewport State Airport
DullesUnited States (Virginia)IADDulles International AirportService began on October 14, 2022.[9]

Fleet

The Tailwind Air fleet consisted of the following aircraft:

Former fleet

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Part 135 Operators and Aircraft . 3 April 2019 . Federal Aviation Administration. 29 April 2018.
  2. Web site: Tailwind Boston Seaplane Base. Airnav.com. August 13, 2020. August 20, 2020.
  3. News: So long, seaplanes: Boston-New York service grounded this summer after selling too few tickets . Jon Chesto . August 2, 2024 .
  4. Web site: Shuttles . Tailwind Air . FAQ . May 26, 2023.
  5. Web site: May 2023 . 2023 Seaplane Schedule . Tailwind Air . May 26, 2023.
  6. Web site: Zea. Tibisay. July 30, 2021. Puddle Jumping To New York In 75 Minutes: Seaplane Service Set To Launch From Boston Harbor. WBUR . May 26, 2023.
  7. News: Palma . Kristi . April 5, 2023 . Travelers can soon take a seaplane from Boston to Nantucket . Boston.com . May 26, 2023.
  8. News: Palma . Kristi . April 29, 2022 . Travelers can take a seaplane from Boston to Provincetown beginning this month . Boston.com . May 26, 2023.
  9. News: Sachs . Andrea . 2022-10-27 . We tried the new seaplane flight from D.C. to New York . en-US . The Washington Post . 2022-11-01 . 0190-8286.