Downtown Seattle could soon be a quick seaplane flight from Vancouver

Daily seaplane flights between Vancouver and downtown Seattle could become a reality as early as next year if a proposal from Harbour Air is approved.

The Vancouver float plane company, along with its U.S. partner Kenmore Air, is waiting for approval from the Canada Border Services Agency to launch the cross-border service, Harbour Air president Randy Wright told CBC News.

"We believe that there is a market there. This has been talked about for a long time, so we're trying to make it happen," he said.

"We're thinking four flights a day is what we would start out with."

If the plan gets approval, Wright anticipates getting the new route up and running sometime in 2018.

He believes the flights would serve tourists as well as businesspeople.

"With Vancouver and Seattle, with the high tech business, there's a lot going on back and forth between the two cities," Wright said.

Expanding tech ties

And there are signs that there could be even more back-and-forth in the future.

Microsoft president Brad Smith told The Canadian Press this week that he anticipates growing beyond the 750 jobs the company initially expected to create in Vancouver when it opened its Microsoft Canada Excellence Centre in June 2016.

That's because Vancouver has become "a second home" for the Washington-based company, Smith said.    

Meanwhile, Vancouver is currently trying to woo Seattle-based tech giant Amazon to the city to open its second headquarters.

The B.C. government also recently opened a new office in Seattle aimed at expanding trade in the U.S. and attracting investment in British Columbia.

A press release from the province said that the Seattle office will help connect B.C. companies with venture capitalists, skilled tech workers and strategic partners.

With files from The Canadian Press and Karin Larsen