Helitours
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2014) |
 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Founded | 1979 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hubs | |||||||
| Fleet size | 16 | ||||||
| Destinations | 13 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Colombo, Sri Lanka | ||||||
| Key people | Rasanga de Zoysa | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
Helitours is a domestic airline in Sri Lanka operated by the Sri Lanka Air Force with aircraft not required for military use. It is currently the second-largest airline in Sri Lanka with a fleet of 16 aircraft behind SriLankan Airlines' 23. The airline once ran a RML-TRR-JAF route on a thrice-weekly basis on their Chinese-built Xian MA60 aircraft. The company slogan is Discover Serendipity. In May 2018, Helitours flights were suspended due to regulatory concerns.[1] As of May 2026, Helitours is not operating any scheduled services.[2]
History
Helitours' air service was started in 1972[3] on the initiative of Air Chief Marshal Deshamanya Paddy Mendis to cater to the tourist industry. By the end of 1972 Helitours was flying to Malé as well. In 1973 a Convair 440 was purchased second hand from Eastern Airlines, to boost Helitours' operations between Ceylon and the Maldives.
In the early 1980s operations first slowed, then stopped due to operational requirements emerging from the onset of the Sri Lankan civil war. During the civil war, the air force provided civil air transport to Jaffna, but this was not considered to be a Helitours operation. However, in 2009 upon cessation of hostilities, the air force restarted Helitours' operations. In 2022, it was reported that Helitours had been skirting Sri Lankan civil aviation insurance requirements by operating scheduled passenger services under military callsigns. Ending this practice, the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka gave certificates of airworthiness to some of the airline's aircraft. However, commercial operations would not restart until insurance was purchased.[4] As of November 2023, neither scheduled services nor civilian transport on military fights are available.
Destinations
All flights are suspended as of November 2023.
| [H] | Primary Hub |
| ‡ | Secondary hub |
| [F] | Future destination |
| [T] | Terminated destination |
| City | Country | IATA | ICAO | Airport | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ampara |  Sri Lanka |
GOY | VCCG | Ampara Airport | |
| Anuradhapura | Sri Lanka |
ACJ | VCCA | Anuradhapura Airport | |
| Batticaloa | Sri Lanka |
BTC | VCCB | Batticaloa Airport | |
| Colombo | Sri Lanka |
RML | VCCC | Ratmalana Airport[H] | |
| Hambantota | Sri Lanka |
HRI | VCRI | Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport‡ | |
| Jaffna | Sri Lanka |
JAF | VCCJ | Jaffna Airport | |
| Killinochchi | Sri Lanka |
- | - | Iranamadu Airport | |
| Malé |  Maldives |
MLE | VRMM | Velana International Airport[T] | |
| Trincomalee | Sri Lanka |
TRR | VCCT | China Bay Airport | |
| Vavuniya | Sri Lanka |
- | VCCV | Vavuniya Airport | |
| Hambantota | Sri Lanka |
WRZ | VCCW | Weerawila Airport | |
| Koggala | Sri Lanka |
KCT | VCCK | Koggala Airport |
Fleet
| This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2018) |
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Passengers (Economy) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell 412 | 2 | 0 | 10 | |
| Bell 212 | 2 | 0 | 10 | |
| Bell 206 JetRanger | 2 | 0 | 4 | |
| Harbin Y-12 | 4 | 0 | 17 | |
| Mil Mi-17 | 3 | 0 | 24 | |
| Xian MA60 | 2[5] | 0 | 47 | |
| Antonov AN-32 | 1 | 0 | 45 | |
| Total | 16 | 0 |
Fleet history
| Aircraft | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bell 206 | - | - | |
| Convair 440 | 1973 | 1980 | |
| De Havilland DH.104 Dove | - | - | |
| Douglas DC-3 | - | - |
Notes
References
- ^ "Helitours off the radar since May 2". The Sunday Times Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
- ^ "Welcome to Helitours LK". www.helitours.lk. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
- ^ "History". Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ^ "Helitours finally fulfills conditions to get air operator certificate". Print Edition - The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
- ^ "Global Airline Guide 2016 (Part Two)". Airliner World (November 2016): 32.
| Scheduled | |
|---|---|
| Domestic | |
| Cargo | |
| Start-ups | |
| Defunct | |
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