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Airline starts new daily nonstop seaplane flights from New York to Boston

ASSOCIATED PRESS
                                A passenger loads onto a Tailwind Air commuter seaplane in Boston Harbor in Boston. The airline began daily flight service Tuesday to and from New York Harbor.
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ASSOCIATED PRESS

A passenger loads onto a Tailwind Air commuter seaplane in Boston Harbor in Boston. The airline began daily flight service Tuesday to and from New York Harbor.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
                                A Tailwind Air commuter seaplane passes the Custom House, center, and the downtown skyline while landing on Boston Harborin Boston. The airline began daily flight service Tuesday to and from New York Harbor.
2/2
Swipe or click to see more

ASSOCIATED PRESS

A Tailwind Air commuter seaplane passes the Custom House, center, and the downtown skyline while landing on Boston Harborin Boston. The airline began daily flight service Tuesday to and from New York Harbor.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
                                A passenger loads onto a Tailwind Air commuter seaplane in Boston Harbor in Boston. The airline began daily flight service Tuesday to and from New York Harbor.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
                                A Tailwind Air commuter seaplane passes the Custom House, center, and the downtown skyline while landing on Boston Harborin Boston. The airline began daily flight service Tuesday to and from New York Harbor.

BOSTON >> Travelers between New York and Boston tired of the time-consuming hassles of crowded airports and commercial flights now have a more convenient, albeit pricey, alternative.

Tailwind Air today started direct nonstop seaplane service between Manhattan and Boston Harbor.

The flights on eight-passenger aircraft between the New York Skyport on the East River and a floating dock in Boston Harbor take about 75 minutes. In Boston, a water taxi shuttles clients to and from the float on a seven-minute trip from the South Boston waterfront.

“Our service combines the accessibility of the train with the speed of a flight,” CEO and Tailwind founder Alan Ram said in a statement.

Although the seaplanes can cut total travel times up to 60%, flights start at $395 one way, which includes a standard-sized rolling bag up to 20 pounds (9 kilograms). The service is also dog friendly.

The owners also point out that in a time of COVID-19, their service cuts down on the number of person-to-person interactions unavoidable in large airports and on commercial jets.

Tailwind uses a fleet of Cessna Grand Caravan EX Amphibians.

The service currently offers four Boston-to-New York and four New York-to-Boston flights daily through November.

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