HYDROPLANES are being trialled as a future 'public transport' system to get residents between islands in the Canaries, and could be fully operating by the autumn.
Surcar Airlines has begun trialling its DHC-6 Twin Otter craft between Tenerife and La Palma, setting off from the former's North Pier and 'landing' in Santa Cruz on the latter within minutes.
A Surcar Airlines hydroplane, which could be the future of public transport between the Canary Islands' two provincial capital cities
The company says it is seeking to use sea-planes for short trips as a passenger transport alternative to mainstream aircraft and ferries – meaning it will be the first airline in Spain to operate them in over 65 years.
“A modern version of a romantic, nostalgic form of travel, which is safe and agile, will bring Canary Islanders even closer together,” says a Surcar Airlines spokesperson.
“This will be a turning point for the islands, and for the European transport industry, as it will improve connectivity and development.”
Surcar Airlines says this has been the case over the past 30 years in cities such as Copenhagen (Denmark), Seattle (USA) and Vancouver (Canada), where hydroplanes have become a key regional transport method.
For the Canaries, it means getting between islands much more quickly – between the region's two provincial capital cities, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in just half an hour.
Ferries are much slower, a mainstream aircraft is only slightly longer but involves the boarding and runway take-off process, adding on extra time, and is not a very environmentally-friendly way of covering the distance, due to the high emissions.
Cutting out conventional air travel over distances that can be comfortably covered by other means in a similar length of time is one of the transport industry's main challenges in fighting climate change – along with developing renewable and emissions-free fuel sources for aircraft – meaning hydroplanes fill the gap nicely.
Emissions are cut by 30% just by avoiding having people driving to the airports, and the swift and efficient control systems make hydroplanes more agile, very safe, and more sustainable as they can take the shortest routes and change course without much forward planning.
If Surcar Airlines' plans stay on schedule, hydroplane trips between the two largest islands' capitals will be running before the end of 2022.
