NOW FLYING BETWEEN  MAPLE BAY - YVR

Year-round scheduled floatplane services between Gabriola Island-YVR, DeCourcy-YVR and Maple Bay-YVR, with seasonal service between Hornby Island-Vancouver Harbour.

Private charter service available throughout coastal BC.

Scenic flights available from downtown Vancouver Harbour from April - October.

  • Indigenous owned
  • Excellent customer service
  • Experienced pilots
  • Small and mighty

NOW FLYING BETWEEN MAPLE BAY - YVR 

Year-round scheduled floatplane services between Gabriola Island-YVR, DeCourcy-YVR and Maple Bay-YVR, with seasonal service between Hornby Island-Vancouver Harbour.

Private charter service available throughout coastal BC.

Scenic flights available from downtown Vancouver Harbour from April - October.

  • Indigenous owned
  • Excellent customer service
  • Experienced pilots
  • Small and mighty
Make a Booking OR Check Current Schedule


INDIGENOUS OWNED
gulf island cockpit photo edited
Reservations & Booking

Book Online or Give us a Call!

We take pride in providing the best in customer service. Feel free to book online up to four hours in advance or give us a call, the price is always the same regardless whether you book online or call us. When booking a flight over the phone we require a credit card to confirm your reservation. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Debit, and Cash.

Call us at:
Toll-Free: 1-800-665-2359
Local: 250-247-9992

BUSINESS OR PLEASURE

Seaplane charter services for both business and pleasure to a number of destinations on the West Coast of British Columbia
EXPERIENCED PILOTS
Gulf Island Seaplanes

Time is your biggest asset. Control your schedule with a private charter. Gulf Island Seaplanes offers passenger and cargo charter service on the West Coast of British Columbia.

Oh, the places you can go!

Whether you’re visiting remote cabins, island hopping, hiking the West Coast Trail, or going on that fishing vacation you’ve been planning – Gulf Island Seaplanes has you covered.

We’re also proud to offer a variety of dedicated experiences for our guests –  perfect for special occasions and full of memories that will last a lifetime. Be sure to frequently check our experiences page as we regularly update our offerings to best suit our guests.

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Gulf Island Seaplane News

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information

frequently asked questions

25 lbs per person – anything over and above is just 50 cents per lb. but cannot be guaranteed on the flight and come over on the next available flight that has room. If you are on the Gabriola side, and know that you will be travelling with more than 25 lbs., we ask that you bring luggage down a day or two earlier than your flight. Luggage is locked up in a secure facility on the YVR side and will be waiting for you upon your arrival on YVR side.

All flights are weather dependent. What affects us? Fog, snow and lots of wind. If we need to delay your flight due to weather we will notify you as soon as possible. We will delay until either we can go or we know that we will not be able to get the flight in before the end of the day. If your flight is cancelled due to weather you will not be charged.

There is no cost associated with waitlisting. You will be asked for a credit card but not charged unless you actually travel. While we can never guarantee a seat if you are waitlisted, your chances are 0% if you do not which is why we always encourage passengers to waitlist. If we have enough passengers waitlisted we do have the option of adding extra flights. If a seat opens up we will confirm with you whether or not you still want the seat, you are given the option to say yes or no without being penalized.

GABRIOLA:

Day Parking: The middle parking lot is designated for day parking only. Day parking is free of charge and vehicle must be gone by end of day.

Overnight Parking: The back parking area nearest South Rd (on the site of the former tennis courts) is designated for overnight parking only. All overnight vehicles must register with the Silva Bay Marina office.

Floatplane customers receive one free night of parking. Subsequent nightly fee is $5.00 / night for up to a total of 7 nights maximum. After 7 nights a monthly pass will need to be purchased for $50 / month.

You may either call or visit the marina office during regular business hours or call 250-247-8662.

YVR (Floatplane Dock):

There are three pay parking lots near our Vancouver terminal, one on Bell Irving Street, Lot 4769, and two on Cowley Crescent, Lots 4760 and 4761. All lots are operated by Parking mobile app & payment solution | PayByPhone so you will need to download their app to pay for parking.

Note: the Seair Seaplanes parking lot is not available.

Please allow enough time to park, pay and walk to our floatplane terminal before your check-in time which is no later than 20 minutes before your scheduled departure time.

Only one pet is allowed per flight unless there are multiple pets per passenger. Always call the office to ensure your pet can be accommodated. All pets will be weighed upon check-in.

ACCOMPANIED PETS
Pets 25 lbs and under will be included as part of your allowable 25 lbs of luggage per passenger. Dogs may sit on owner’s lap with a dog harness (either supplied by the owner or Gulf Island Seaplanes) as well as attached to the passenger’s seatbelt.

Pets 26 lbs and over will be charged at a full fare rate. Dependent on size they may either sit on owner’s lap, at their feet, or have a designated seat. The dog should have a harness (either supplied by the owner or Gulf Island Seaplanes) and will be attached to seatbelt. Please call the

UNACCOMPANIED PETS

We do accept unaccompanied pets. Please call our office for more information as this will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

SERVICE, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AND PSYCHIATRIC SERVICE DOGS

Please call ahead prior to booking your flight to ensure there is room for your service animal.
Service animals are accepted at no cost provided that the proper documentation and certification is provided. This includes 1) Confirmation of animal training to be signed by owner/trainer of dog and 2) Confirmation from medical/mental health professional including professional’s licence number and type of licence. Document must be signed by professional.

Yes! BASE RATE 0 – 3 lbs = $16.00 / Additional weight is $1.00 per pound. Total is subject to GST.

Please note that all we will always do our best to accommodate cargo however it does fly standby.

testimonials

what our customers say about us

WOW...such exciting news to hear you are expanding...especially after such a challenge couple of years. Congrats Sean and team...you are all amazing and I miss your smiling faces! Cheers from one of your greatest fans! 😊👍

Shelley

Another airline took my bag Nye. The pilot puddle jumped at near sundown over to Nanaimo and back and hand delivered my bag to me at our cottage. Amazing service. Great humans. Love it.

Brian B

Excellent service, very friendly and helpful staff. It is such a great service for commuting back to Vancouver in only 20 minutes. We also booked a scenic tour for a visitors birthday and it was fantastic and enjoyed by all.

Cat Harling

Great connection to YVR from Gabriola, avoids waiting for 2 ferries and airport parking fees!

Bon van Hardenberg

Possibly the best on-time performance of any airline, large or small.

Graeme Ireland