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| Founded | 1986; 39 years ago (1986) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AOC # | Canada: 4622[2] United States: HJ0F756F[3] | ||||||
| Hubs | Vancouver International Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 19[4] | ||||||
| Destinations | 3[5] | ||||||
| Headquarters | Vancouver,British Columbia | ||||||
| Key people |
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| Website | www | ||||||
Helijet International is a helicopter airline and charter service based inRichmond,British Columbia, Canada. Its scheduled passenger helicopter airline services operates flights from heliports atVancouver International Airport (YVR), downtownVancouver, downtownNanaimo and downtownVictoria. It also operates a charter division (Helijet Charters) serving the film, television, aerial tour, industrial and general helicopter and corporate jet charter markets, as well as helicopter and jetair ambulance services. Its head office and main hangar isVancouver International Airport (YVR).[6]
Sightseeing harbour and city tours and scheduled services toVictoria andNanaimo operate from theVancouver Harbour Heliport located on the shores ofBurrard Inlet, adjacent toWaterfront Station. The actualheliport is a floating structure located in the harbour waters. Helijet is also British Columbia's largestair medical service provider, operating rotary wing, fixed wing medevac aircraft including Learjet.[7]
The airline was established in 1986 asHelijet Airways[8] and started operations between Vancouver andVictoria in November 1986 with oneBell 412 helicopter and 14 staff members. During the past 30 years of operation, Helijet has grown from one aircraft in scheduled service with 14 personnel carrying just 22,000 passengers into a diversified company with 15 aircraft and 150+ employees carrying over 100,000 passengers per year. The company has an excellent record of aviation safety.[citation needed] WithUS Helicopter now defunct in the New York City area since 2009, Helijet andBLADE Urban Air Mobility Inc.[9] are the only scheduled passenger helicopter airline service in North America.[10]
In the past, Helijet provided scheduled passenger services withSikorsky S-76 helicopters orBeechcraft 1900 turboprop fixed-wing aircraft to Seattle-Boeing Field,Abbotsford International Airport,Langley Regional Airport,Victoria International Airport andCampbell River Airport, all of which are still destinations accessible by Helijet Charters' services. Helijet has operated large, 19 passenger seatSikorsky S-61 helicopters as well including in scheduled service between Vancouver and Victoria.
All scheduled passenger services between the company's heliports located indowntown Vancouver, B.C. anddowntown Victoria, B.C. have been operated for many years with twin engine,Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) capable Sikorsky S-76 helicopters flown by two pilots. During the 2013 summer season, all scheduled service between Vancouver and Victoria was being operated withBell 206L-3 LongRanger III turbine poweredrotorcraft. However, with the advent of the 2013 fall season, Helijet was once again operating Sikorsky S-76 helicopters between Vancouver and Victoria and is currently doing so.
Helijet International operates the Vancouver and Victoria Harbour Heliports under its wholly owned subsidiary, Pacific Heliport Services.
As of August 2019, Helijet operates scheduled services to the following destinations:[5]
Helijet operatesair ambulance at the following heliports/airports in British Columbia, Canada:[11]
Helijet also operates a year-round base atSandspit Airport and provides helicopter services betweenMasset Airport and numerous fishing lodges in theHaida Gwaii area during the BC fishing season. The fishing lodges have an operating helipad to facilitate this service, which includes passenger and cargo transfers.
On March 11, 2015, Helijet began operating new scheduled passenger service utilizing Sikorsky S-76 helicopters with seven roundtrip flights every weekday between the company's downtown heliport located inVancouver Harbour and the Nanaimo Harbour Heliport located at the Nanaimo Cruise Ship Welcome Centre.[12]
The Helijet fleet consists of the following aircraft types (as of March 2024):[4]
| Aircraft | No. of aircraft[4] | Variants | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aérospatiale AS350 | 3 | AS350 B2 & B3 | 5 passengers,MEDEVAC capable |
| Learjet 31 | 1 | 31A | Fixed wing |
| Cessna Citation X | 1 | 750 | Fixed wing |
| Sikorsky S-76 | 14 | S-76A,S-76B,S-76C | 12 passengers |
HeliJet has operated the following fixed wing turboprop and helicopter types:[13]
Helijet International: JBA, HELIJET
