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{{Short description|Airline of Sri Lanka}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline        = Helitours<br>{{lang|si|හෙලිටුවර්ස්}}<br>{{lang|ta|ஹெலிதுவர்ச்}}
| image            = Helitours logo.png
| image_size       = 150
| alt              = Helitours logo
|IATA            = 
|ICAO            = HLT
|callsign        = HELITOURS
| founded        = 1979
| hubs           = <div>
*[[Ratmalana Airport]]
*[[Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport]]
</div>
|focus_cities = 
| fleet_size     = 16
|destinations    = 13
| frequent_flyer =
| headquarters   = [[Colombo]], [[Sri Lanka]]
| key_people     = Rasanga de Zoysa
| website        = {{URL|www.helitours.lk}}
}}

'''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 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Helitours off the radar since May 2 |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/180708/business-times/helitours-off-the-radar-since-may-2-301567.html |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=The Sunday Times Sri Lanka}}</ref> As of November 2023, Helitours is not operating any scheduled services.<ref>{{Cite web |title=::: Welcome to Helitours LK ::: |url=https://www.helitours.lk/Com_Flight.html |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=www.helitours.lk}}</ref>

== History ==
Helitours' air service was started in 1972 on the initiative of [[Paddy Mendis|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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Helitours finally fulfills conditions to get air operator certificate |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220313/news/helitours-finally-fulfills-conditions-to-get-air-operator-certificate-476618.html |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=Print Edition - The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka}}</ref> As of November 2023, neither scheduled services nor civilian transport on military fights are available.

== Destinations ==
[[File:Helitours Mi-17.jpg|thumb|Helitours MI-17 preparing to land.]]

All flights are suspended as of November 2023.

{|class="wikitable"
|-
|style="background:#FADA5E" align=center|<sup>[H]</sup>||[[Airline hub|Primary Hub]]
|-
|bgcolor=#DDFFDD width=20pt align=center|<sup>‡</sup>||Secondary hub
|-
|style="background:#FFFF80" align=center|<sup>[F]</sup>||Future destination
|-
|style="background:#DDDDDD" align=center|<sup>[T]</sup> ||Terminated destination
|}

{|class="sortable wikitable toccolours"
|-
!style="background-color:#000080;color: white"|City
!style="background-color:#000080;color: white"|Country
!style="background-color:#000080;color:white; width:50px;"|IATA
!style="background-color:#000080; color:white; width:50px;"|ICAO
!style="background-color:#000080;color: white"|Airport
!style="background-color:#000080;color: white" class="unsortable"|Refs
|-
|-
|[[Ampara]]||{{LKA}}||align=center|GOY||align=center|VCCG||[[Ampara Airport]]||align=center|     
|-
|[[Anuradhapura]]||{{LKA}}||align=center|ACJ||align=center|VCCA||[[Anuradhapura Airport]]||align=center|
|-
|[[Batticaloa]]||{{LKA}}||align=center|BTC||align=center|VCCB||[[Batticaloa Airport]]||align=center| 
|-
|[[Colombo]]||{{LKA}}||align=center|RML||align=center|VCCC||style="background-color: #FADA5E"|[[Ratmalana Airport]]<sup>[H]</sup>||align=center|
|-
|[[Hambantota]]||{{LKA}}||align=center|HRI||align=center|VCRI||bgcolor=#DDFFDD|[[Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport]]<sup>‡</sup>||align=center|
|-
|[[Jaffna]]||{{LKA}}||align=center|JAF||align=center|VCCJ||[[Jaffna Airport]]||align=center|
|-
|[[Killinochchi]]||{{LKA}}||align=center|-||align=center|-||[[SLAF Iranamadu|Iranamadu Airport]]||align=center|
|-
|[[Malé]]||{{MDV}}||align=center|MLE||align=center|VRMM||style="background-color: #DDDDDD"|[[Velana International Airport]]<sup>[T]</sup>||align=center|
|-
|[[Trincomalee]]||{{LKA}}||align=center|TRR||align=center|VCCT||[[China Bay Airport]]||align=center|
|-
|[[Vavuniya]]||{{LKA}}||align=center|-||align=center|VCCV||[[SLAF Vavuniya|Vavuniya Airport]]||align=center|
|-
|[[Hambantota]]||{{LKA}}||align=center|WRZ||align=center|VCCW||[[Weerawila Airport]]||align=center|
|-
|[[Koggala]]||{{LKA}}||align=center|KCT||align=center|VCCK||[[Koggala Airport]]||align=center|
|}

==Fleet==
{{More citations needed|section|date=January 2018}}
{|class="toccolours" border="1" cellpadding="3" style="margin:1em auto; border-collapse:collapse"
|+'''Helitours fleet'''
|- bgcolor=red
!style="color:white;"| Aircraft
!style="color:white;"| Total
!style="color:white;"| Orders
!style="color:white;"| Passengers<br><small>(Economy)</small>
!style="color:white;"| Notes
|-
|-
|[[Bell 412]]   
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|0
|align="center"|10
|align="center"|
|-
|-
|[[Bell 212]]   
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|0
|align="center"|10
|align="center"|
|-
|[[Bell 206|Bell 206 JetRanger]]
|align="center"|2
|align="center"|0
|align="center"|4
|align="center"|
|-
|[[Harbin Y-12]]
|align="center"|4
|align="center"|0
|align="center"|17
|align="center"|
|-
|[[Mil Mi-17]]
|align="center"|3
|align="center"|0
|align="center"|24
|align="center"|
|-
|[[Xian MA60]]
|align="center"|2<ref>{{cite journal|title=Global Airline Guide 2016 (Part Two)|journal=Airliner World|issue=November 2016|page=32}}</ref>
|align="center"|0
|align="center"|47
|align="center"|
|-
|[[Antonov AN-32]]
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|0
|align="center"|45
|align="center"|
|-
|'''Total'''
!16
!0
!
|}

==Fleet history==

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|+ '''Helitours Retired Fleet'''
|-
!Aircraft
!Introduced
!Retired
!Notes
|-
|[[Bell 206]]
| style="text-align:center" |-
| style="text-align:center" |-
|
|-
|[[Convair 440]]
| style="text-align:center" |1973
| style="text-align:center" |1980
|
|-
|[[De Havilland DH.104 Dove]]
| style="text-align:center" |-
| style="text-align:center" |-
|
|-
|[[Douglas DC-3]]
| style="text-align:center" |-
| style="text-align:center" |-
|
|}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=nb}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Airlines of Sri Lanka}}

[[Category:Airlines of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 1972]]
[[Category:Military airlines]]
[[Category:Sri Lanka Air Force]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan companies established in 1972]]


{{SriLanka-transport-stub}}