“At this time we are still working on our D.C. expansion and are not ready to announce a route launch,” Tailwind co-founder Peter Manice said in an email. “We do feel we have a pathway to DC area service that will afford similar benefits to the ones our Boston-Manhattan passengers realize on a daily basis.”Tickets on that route start at $395 one-way.
Tailwind operates a fleet of propeller-powered Cessna Caravan seaplanes equipped to land on water or land. It flies from a seaplane base on the eastern side of Manhattan to a marina on Boston’s waterfront. It wasn’t clear where the planes might land in the Washington area. Launching a similar service in the D.C. area could prove complicated. The airspace over the city has been heavily regulated since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and is not generally open to commercial flights.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s Flight-Restricted Zone stretches about 15 nautical miles around Reagan National Airport. The FAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday about the proposed seaplane service.