SLAF Enters Commercial Flying as a Registered Company HELITOURS
3:53pm on Monday 19th July 2010
This morning Director Air Operations Air Vice Marshall Kolitha Goonatilaka sold the inaugural ticket at the “state of the art” Helitours counter at No. 395, Galle Road, Colombo- 3, since Helitours was registered as a State owned Company under the Registrar of Companies of Sri Lanaka.
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) aircraft which played a key role in liberating the skies to end the war will now take flight in a much lighter spirit as it embarks on a milestone venture: commercial passenger and cargo solutions.
You are invited to “Discover Serendipity” as HELITOURS, the commercial arm of SLAF; re-launch their services with state of the art facilities and customer-oriented outlook on July 19, 2010 as it relocates to No. 395, Galle Road, Colombo- 3 (opposite Abans building).
Passengers can now purchase their tickets free from the stringent of security checks and the regulated atmosphere of a military installation. The new premises with attractive interior décor to suit, the customer friendly environment have been designed with the special aims of catering to the growing demand and the convenience of the clientele. There is hope that the venture will provide an opportunity to create a niche market.
The highly professional and experienced pilots and crew of HELITOURS will be sporting a new look following the streamlined services. Passengers will be greeted by efficient and competent staff clad in a new set of uniforms, in the trademark hues of sky blue.
All these are innovations for HELITOURS whose inceptions date back to 1972, as the brainchild of Air Marshal Paddy Mendis who conceptualized it as a business venture for the SLAF. HELITOURS was reinstated last year during dark periods of the war, being the sole air travel agents offering scheduled flights and passenger transfers to all parts of the island. At times it was the only travel link via air to the Jaffna peninsula even under enemy threat.
Today, HELITOURS offer both scheduled flights and chartered flights to and from any part of Sri Lanka including city to airport transfers. Passengers can enjoy a bird’s eye view of the country at competitive rates offered by HELITOURS which reiterates its commitment to people oriented service.
Moreover it continues to give a huge boost to promoting tourism in Sri Lanka as it has done for the past 25 years. Stretching its possibilities even further, HELITOURS recently ventured into Off Shore aircraft operation, supporting the oil exploration in Sri Lankan waters, sidelining foreign contenders.
So many accolades to its credit, HELITOURS will create yet another historic milestone by eventually becoming the first domestic aviation body to introduce scheduled flights using helicopters. HELITOURS fleet consists of four types of helicopters, Bell-206, the 08 seat Bell 212 and Bell-412 plus the Mi-17 which can seat 20 persons. Two fixed wing aircraft; AN 32 B and Y-12 with 45 and 15 seats respectively, are also being used for this novel aviation project. Which is probably for the first time in the world that a professional Air Force at the end of a highly successful campaign has entered the commercial world to support the nations will to reach greater excellence
Since the dawn of peace, HELITOURS has expanded their services, bringing new destination routes under its wings. Scheduled flights to Batticaloa and Ampara operate from Ratmalana every Tuesday, while the historic kingdoms of Sigiriya and Anuradhapura are the latest additions to the extensive HELITOURS route map.
The scheduled flights to Palaly still continue on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. HELITOURS also flies to China Bay, Trincomalee on Monday and Friday. These flights are ideal for those looking to enjoy a weekend holiday touring the beautiful coastline in the East.
HELITOURS is already looking to expand their possibilities and are currently discussing the options of servicing several new destination routes. HELITOURS is the only domestic air operator which has the capacity and the resources to provide charter flights to Maldives or any other regional destinations. In keeping with their motto of achieving unparallel levels of excellence, it is already exploring the possibilities of expanding beyond borders.
The reasons behind the success of HELITOURS are many. They include professional and highly experienced pilots and crew, technological advancements and the competency and skill of maintaining standards that are par excellence. But the icing on the cake which puts HELITOURS far ahead in domestic aviation is the unmatched commitment to customer support that sees the staff always going an extra mile to assist their customers.
This is why future plans of HELITOURS are all customer oriented at bringing even more amenities to their clientele. In the months to come, with the completion of the HELITOURS website, expect facilities to purchase tickets online from the comfort of your home or office.
HELITOURS ticket counters are established at Bandaranaike International Airport and at Air Force Headquarters at Jaffna, Ratmalana and Trincomalee. With years of experience of operating under divers conditions, knowing every landing strip and pad by heart, backed by an unmatched maintence network which ensured the highest levels of performance and one of the best safety records in the world the crews of Helitours are indeed unmatched by any other commercial operator.Safety and security are two governing factors for the selection of an operator by the commercial air traveler today after the infamous 9/11 incident can any local commercial operator challenge the supremacy of Helitours crews in this aspect? come fly with us and experience a truly Sri Lankan tour of Serendipity
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) aircraft which played a key role in liberating the skies to end the war will now take flight in a much lighter spirit as it embarks on a milestone venture: commercial passenger and cargo solutions.
You are invited to “Discover Serendipity” as HELITOURS, the commercial arm of SLAF; re-launch their services with state of the art facilities and customer-oriented outlook on July 19, 2010 as it relocates to No. 395, Galle Road, Colombo- 3 (opposite Abans building).
Passengers can now purchase their tickets free from the stringent of security checks and the regulated atmosphere of a military installation. The new premises with attractive interior décor to suit, the customer friendly environment have been designed with the special aims of catering to the growing demand and the convenience of the clientele. There is hope that the venture will provide an opportunity to create a niche market.
The highly professional and experienced pilots and crew of HELITOURS will be sporting a new look following the streamlined services. Passengers will be greeted by efficient and competent staff clad in a new set of uniforms, in the trademark hues of sky blue.
All these are innovations for HELITOURS whose inceptions date back to 1972, as the brainchild of Air Marshal Paddy Mendis who conceptualized it as a business venture for the SLAF. HELITOURS was reinstated last year during dark periods of the war, being the sole air travel agents offering scheduled flights and passenger transfers to all parts of the island. At times it was the only travel link via air to the Jaffna peninsula even under enemy threat.
Today, HELITOURS offer both scheduled flights and chartered flights to and from any part of Sri Lanka including city to airport transfers. Passengers can enjoy a bird’s eye view of the country at competitive rates offered by HELITOURS which reiterates its commitment to people oriented service.
Moreover it continues to give a huge boost to promoting tourism in Sri Lanka as it has done for the past 25 years. Stretching its possibilities even further, HELITOURS recently ventured into Off Shore aircraft operation, supporting the oil exploration in Sri Lankan waters, sidelining foreign contenders.
So many accolades to its credit, HELITOURS will create yet another historic milestone by eventually becoming the first domestic aviation body to introduce scheduled flights using helicopters. HELITOURS fleet consists of four types of helicopters, Bell-206, the 08 seat Bell 212 and Bell-412 plus the Mi-17 which can seat 20 persons. Two fixed wing aircraft; AN 32 B and Y-12 with 45 and 15 seats respectively, are also being used for this novel aviation project. Which is probably for the first time in the world that a professional Air Force at the end of a highly successful campaign has entered the commercial world to support the nations will to reach greater excellence
Since the dawn of peace, HELITOURS has expanded their services, bringing new destination routes under its wings. Scheduled flights to Batticaloa and Ampara operate from Ratmalana every Tuesday, while the historic kingdoms of Sigiriya and Anuradhapura are the latest additions to the extensive HELITOURS route map.
The scheduled flights to Palaly still continue on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. HELITOURS also flies to China Bay, Trincomalee on Monday and Friday. These flights are ideal for those looking to enjoy a weekend holiday touring the beautiful coastline in the East.
HELITOURS is already looking to expand their possibilities and are currently discussing the options of servicing several new destination routes. HELITOURS is the only domestic air operator which has the capacity and the resources to provide charter flights to Maldives or any other regional destinations. In keeping with their motto of achieving unparallel levels of excellence, it is already exploring the possibilities of expanding beyond borders.
The reasons behind the success of HELITOURS are many. They include professional and highly experienced pilots and crew, technological advancements and the competency and skill of maintaining standards that are par excellence. But the icing on the cake which puts HELITOURS far ahead in domestic aviation is the unmatched commitment to customer support that sees the staff always going an extra mile to assist their customers.
This is why future plans of HELITOURS are all customer oriented at bringing even more amenities to their clientele. In the months to come, with the completion of the HELITOURS website, expect facilities to purchase tickets online from the comfort of your home or office.
HELITOURS ticket counters are established at Bandaranaike International Airport and at Air Force Headquarters at Jaffna, Ratmalana and Trincomalee. With years of experience of operating under divers conditions, knowing every landing strip and pad by heart, backed by an unmatched maintence network which ensured the highest levels of performance and one of the best safety records in the world the crews of Helitours are indeed unmatched by any other commercial operator.Safety and security are two governing factors for the selection of an operator by the commercial air traveler today after the infamous 9/11 incident can any local commercial operator challenge the supremacy of Helitours crews in this aspect? come fly with us and experience a truly Sri Lankan tour of Serendipity
Flights in operation
Jet Ranger Bell 212 Bell 412
MI17
