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.

Helitours
හෙලිටුවර්ස්
ஹெலிதுவர்ச்
IATA ICAO Callsign
HLT HELITOURS
Founded1979
Hubs
Fleet size16
Destinations13
HeadquartersColombo, Sri Lanka
Key peopleRasanga de Zoysa
Websitewww.helitours.lk

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 MI-17 preparing to land.

Helitours is set resume its flights to Ibrahim Nasir International Airport in Malé in the near future using Xian MA-60 aircraft

[H]Primary Hub
‡Secondary hub
[F]Future destination
[T]Terminated destination
City Country IATA ICAO Airport Refs
Ampara Sri LankaGOYVCCGAmpara Airport
Anuradhapura Sri LankaACJVCCAAnuradhapura Airport
Batticaloa Sri LankaBTCVCCBBatticaloa Airport
Colombo Sri LankaRMLVCCCRatmalana Airport[H]
Hambantota Sri LankaHRIVCRIMattala Rajapaksa International Airport‡
Jaffna Sri LankaJAFVCCJJaffna Airport
Killinochchi Sri Lanka--Iranamadu Airport
Malé MaldivesMLEVRMMIbrahim Nasir International Airport[T]
Trincomalee Sri LankaTRRVCCTChina Bay Airport
Vavuniya Sri Lanka-VCCVVavuniya Airport
Hambantota Sri LankaWRZVCCWWeerawila Airport
Koggala Sri LankaKCTVCCKKoggala Airport

Fleet

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Helitours fleet
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[1] 0 47
Antonov AN-32 1 0 45
Total 16 0

Fleet history
Helitours Retired Fleet
Aircraft Introduced Retired Notes
Bell 206 - -
Convair 440 1973 1980
De Havilland DH.104 Dove - -
Douglas DC-3 - -

Notes

    References
    1. "Global Airline Guide 2016 (Part Two)". Airliner World (November 2016): 32.


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