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I know that you can charter a helicopter, it is expensive but possible. But can I go on a scheduled flight with a helicopter? If so, which connections?

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    Given the costly nature of helicopter flights and capacity of most commercial helicopter models, I would be surprised if any company offers scheduled helicopter flights. It just doesn't sound economically viable! Which is why I think most helicopter flights are charters.
    – Ankur Banerjee
    Oct 27, 2011 at 13:26
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    @Ankur, lo and behold: Copterline runs 10 scheduled flights a day, according to their website.
    – Jonik
    Oct 27, 2011 at 21:02
  • There used to be a scheduled heli service between Freetown airport (Lungi) and Freetown, Sierra Leone. When the Russians (pilots) blew up the chopper, the serviced ceased to be.
    – MastaBaba
    Jul 14, 2012 at 18:45

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(Edit - February 2020)

Not lots of airports, but lots of rich people:

Heli Air Monaco used to operate a regular flight between Nice airport and Monaco every 30mn. Fee was 105€ from Monaco to Nice and 120€ from Nice to Monaco, or 210€ for both.

As of 2020, regular line is operated by Monacair. Flight frequency is 15mn and fee is 140€.

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Copterline operates a frequent helicopter service between Helsinki, Finland and Tallinn, Estonia. They advertise it as follows:

FAST CLASS by Copterline is the fastest, most efficient way to travel between Helsinki and Tallinn - from city center to city center in 18 minutes.

Ten scheduled flights each workday put you above the inconveniences of other transport, allowing you a full day at work without a half day spent traveling.

With a quick look, one way prices are 89 - 270 €, depending on flexibility and cancellation options. (This is pretty expensive compared to the abundant ferry services between the cities–it's clearly aimed primarily at business travellers.)

Some history: Copterline Oy, a Finnish company, operated a regular and fairly popular service between the capitals from 2000 to 2005. In 2004, for instance, they carried 75,000 passengers. The operations came to a dramatic halt in 2005 when their Sikorsky S-76C+ helicopter crashed into the Gulf of Finland near Tallinn, killing all 14 people onboard. There have been attempts to restart the business over the years, but it seems they only managed to do so in late 2011. (Now the service is run by Copterline OÜ, a different company apparently, which is Estonian but wholly owned by Finnish FastClass Ltd.)

Update (April 2012): I just tried, on a whim, flying with Copterline from Helsinki to Tallinn, so I can now confirm that these scheduled flights indeed take place! This was my first time in a helicopter and all (so forgive me being hyped about it).

There were 8 passengers in total (12 seats) on my flight. The sole helicopter forming the current fleet is an AW139. In Helsinki, the copter leaves from a small heliport in Hernesaari (IATA code: HEN), complete with a security checkpoint and waiting lounge. One must check in 10 mins before scheduled flight time at latest. In Tallinn, the heliport (IATA: CHE) is located adjacent to Linnahall, a strange Soviet-era ode to raw concrete. Service was nice overall; this is certainly very convenient compared, say, to spending 2-3 hours in a packed ferry & terminals.

Some photos I took:

enter image description here

Passing one of the competing travel options (Tallink's M/S Superstar) overhead: enter image description here

Looking west (the side windows coloured everything blue): enter image description here

Passing another ferry: enter image description here

Approaching Tallinn; you can see the heliport on the left: enter image description here

After landing: enter image description here

The 18 minutes in the air set me back 169 €, and I'm not planning to make this a habit. (I booked the ticket the same day; might've been slightly cheaper otherwise.) Also, I'm very happy this time there were no accidents whatsoever!

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In the past there was such a service in New York. I was booked on it once to get to Newark from LaGuardia and once between JFK and LaGuardia. Both times the weather was "bad" - helicopters set a really low bar for "bad" - and I had to make the connection on the ground. I am not sure if the service still runs but New York, with lots of airports and lots of rich people, is the place to look for it.

A quick search finds this: http://www.newyorkhelicopter.com/airport-transfers/ but I assure you I did not pay $800/person for whatever I had booked a few decades ago.

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    You're probably remembering US Helicopter, which briefly operated schedule helicopter flights at various fares as low as $90. The business model was not sustainable and they went under.
    – Joel Spolsky
    Oct 29, 2011 at 1:48
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    @JoelSpolsky - This reminds me Coogan's Bluff movie where a helicopter company operated between the roof of the Pan Am Building and some airport. According to Wikipedia, the company was New York Airways.
    – mouviciel
    Sep 3, 2012 at 19:55
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The Scilly Isles, off the tip off Cornwall, UK have such a service. Further information on the British International Helicopters page on Wikipedia.

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When I was in Vancouver earlier this month, I noted it was possible to do a flight from either Vancouver Harbour, or indeed Vancouver International Airport to Victoria, with Helijet. So it's a viable connection there, if pricey - a quick search for a flight next month revealed around $290 one way...

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Sky Shuttle flies between Hong Kong and Macau every 30 minutes from 9 AM to 11 PM, seven days a week. Flights take 15 minutes. At HK$3700 (~US$475) a pop, it's not exactly cheap though, especially given that ferries cover the same distance in an hour and cost around a twentieth of the price!

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    Sky Shuttle also run between Macau and Shenzhen Airport on the mainland. Price is $618 USD or 4,800 HKD.
    – Rincewind42
    Mar 15, 2012 at 6:42
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Pity that I only learned about this service, AFTER returning from Morocco :( There is a regular helicopter service between Europe and Africa. INAER offers regular services between Malaga/Algeciras and Ceuta, and that already for 12 years.

I even found two youtube films this one and this one.

The service seems to connect with flights arriving at Malaga airport in Spain, as well as with Algeciras on the Bay of Gibraltar.

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  • The prices are relatively cheap too (even if it's twice the price for non-residents of Ceuta)! Ceuta-Algeciras 54 € one-way.
    – Jonik
    May 3, 2012 at 23:27
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There are scheduled helicopter flights twice daily between Værøy Heliport and Bodø, Norway. Flights are operated by Lufttransport. The same company also has flights between the settlements of Svalbard.

Booking a month in advance yields round trip prices of 1852 NOK (€205).

There are also many settlements in Greenland where the only form of scheduled public transportation is by helicopter.

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