Harbour Air Expands Service to Tofino This Winter

Vancouver-based Harbour Air has expanded its service to two Vancouver Island airports: Tofino (YAZ) and Victoria (YYJ).

Notably, the carrier has now introduced wheeled service to Tofino for the first time, providing passengers with flights to the stunning west coast of Vancouver Island year-round.

Harbour Air Expands Service to Tofino and Victoria

Harbour Air has expanded service to Vancouver Island for its winter schedule.

Earlier this week, Harbour Air introduced wheeled service from Vancouver International Airport’s South Terminal (YVR) to Tofino-Long Beach Airport (YAZ) for the first time.

This new wheeled service complements the seasonal seaplane service to Tofino Harbour, bringing Harbour Air’s Tofino service to year-round.

From October 27, 2025, through to March 29, 2026, Harbour Air will operate the following service between Vancouver International Airport South Terminal (YVR) and Tofino–Long Beach Airport (YAZ):

• YB 387, departing Vancouver South Terminal (YVR) 12:30pm, arriving Tofino (YAZ) 1:15pm
• YB 388, departing Tofino (YAZ) 2pm, arriving Vancouver South Terminal (YVR) 2:45pm

For the most part, the service will operate four-times weekly on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday, with brief periods of thrice-weekly service during the winter holidays and March Break.

Harbour Air operates a Twin Otter aircraft on this route, with seating for up to 19 passengers on the 45-minute flight in either direction.

One-way fares start at $139 (CAD), and flights can be booked throughout the winter schedule on the Harbour Air website.

This new service to Tofino comes in addition to the airline’s existing wheeled-flight service from Vancouver South Terminal (YVR) to Victoria (YYJ), which has been expanded for the winter months.

Harbour Air passengers flying between Vancouver and Victoria have up to 19 daily flights to choose from, and a short flight time of just 30 minutes.

Harbour Air’s Chief Commercial Officer, Chris Fordyce, had this to say about the expanded service to Vancouver Island:

British Columbians and the tourism industry deserve easier, more dependable ways to travel across our beautiful coast year-round. This expansion strengthens regional connectivity, supports tourism and makes it simpler for customers to spend more time where they want to be. Our focus is on building a future where regional air travel is more reliable, accessible and an integral part of exploring British Columbia.

West Coast Vancouver Island Is a Great Choice Year-Round

Many Canadians are familiar with Tofino (and nearby Ucluelet) as a great summer holiday destination, with stunning beaches, the opportunity to surf, and the beautiful coastal rainforest.

However, the west coast of Vancouver Island is a fantastic place to visit year-round, especially during the winter for storm watching.

I’m fortunate to live a few hours away from Tofino by car, and since moving to Vancouver Island five years ago, we’ve enjoyed a storm-watching trip at least once every year.

Plus, you won’t have to contend with as many crowds as you would in the summer months, and many hotels on the west coast offer discounted rates during the storm-watching season.

I’m excited to see Harbour Air bolster its service to Tofino, especially since getting there by land (and sea) is a bit of a lengthy adventure in itself at the best of times.

If you’re coming from Vancouver, you’d have to take a ferry to Nanaimo, and then drive roughly three hours to Tofino on a road that’s very susceptible to nasty winter weather.

With Harbour Air’s wheeled service from Vancouver South Terminal, you can cut the travel time to just 45 minutes, and spend more of your time admiring the rugged beauty of the west coast instead of white-knuckling it on the drive.

When it comes to leveraging points on Harbour Air flights, your best bet is to look to fixed-value points currencies such as Scene+, CIBC Aventura Points, TD Rewards, BMO Rewards, and the like.

I’d suggest booking directly with the airline whenever possible, and then redeeming points to offset the cost after the fact.

Conclusion 

Harbour Air has introduced wheeled-flight service between Vancouver South Terminal (YVR) and Tofino-Long Beach Airport (YAZ) for the Winter 2025/2026 schedule.

This brings year-round service to the beautiful west coast of Vancouver Island, and offers passengers a significantly reduced (and scenic) travel time compared to venturing by land and sea.

If your travels take you to Tofino/Ucluelet this winter (which I’d argue they should), be sure to check out Harbour Air to get you there.