Cape Air announced last week it had acquired the assets of Shoreline Aviation, a seaplane operator based out of East Haven, Conn.
The acquisition includes 10 seaplane aircrafts, three owned by Shoreline and seven which are leased seaplanes, and Shoreline’s crew of 14 seaplane pilots.
In addition to the Shoreline Aviation deal, Cape Air purchased its 11th brand new amphibious Cessna Grand Caravan EX last month, and has another on its way in the coming months.
The airline has been exploring options for seaplane service for several years, according to an email from Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations Trish Lorino.
“Primarily because it affords the opportunity to access some fantastic destinations, which is what we have specialized in for the last 30 years,” Lorino said.
This will mark Cape Air’s second foray into seaplane service. The company had a previous seaplane service from Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Bimini, Bahamas, but discontinued the service two years ago.
People on Martha’s Vineyard can expect charter service to and from New York Harbor on 23rd Street in Manhattan.
While still letting the ink dry on the deal, Cape Air plans to have the service available this summer.
Lorino said that CEO Dan Wolf has wanted to do seaplane service from Boston Harbor to New York Harbor for a long time to expand services and options to Cape Air customers.
“It provides a convenient, quick way to connect the two cities,” Lorino said. “Dock-to-dock is a little over an hour. If you are a business traveler who frequents either city, this is a plus.”
This article originally appeared on mvtimes.com.
