Helitours


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 Sri Lankan Airlines' 23. The airline dominates the RML-TRR-JAF route on a thrice-weekly basis on their Chinese-built Xian MA60 aircraft. The company slogan is Discover Serendipity.

History

Helitours' air service was started in 1972 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 Male 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.
However, in 2009 upon cessation of hostilities, the air force restarted Helitours' operations. During the civil war, the air force provided civil air transport to Jaffna, but this was not considered to be a Helitours operation.

Destinations

Helitours is set to resume its flights to Ibrahim Nasir International Airport in Malé in the near future using Xian MA-60 aircraft
Primary Hub
‡Secondary hub
Future destination
Terminated destination

CityCountryIATAICAOAirportRefs
AmparaGOYVCCGAmpara Airport
AnuradhapuraACJVCCAAnuradhapura Airport
BatticaloaBTCVCCBBatticaloa Airport
ColomboRMLVCCCRatmalana Airport
HambantotaHRIVCRIMattala Rajapaksa International Airport‡
JaffnaJAFVCCJJaffna Airport
Killinochchi--Iranamadu Airport
MaléMLEVRMMIbrahim Nasir International Airport
TrincomaleeTRRVCCTChina Bay Airport
Vavuniya-VCCVVavuniya Airport
HambantotaWRZVCCWWeerawila Airport
KoggalaKCTVCCKKoggala Airport

Fleet


AircraftTotalOrdersPassengers
Notes
Bell 4122010
Bell 2122010
Bell 206 JetRanger204
Harbin Y-124017
Mil Mi-173024
Xian MA602047
Antonov AN-321045
Total160-

Fleet history