Uniting centers of business and government through helicopter flights

You glance at the clock. Yikes! It’s almost 3 p.m.! You only have a few minutes before you need to dash to catch a floatplane to Vancouver. If only you could stay a bit longer in Victoria to wrap up a meeting or a bit of paperwork.

Thanks to Helijet, you can.

In 1986, Danny Sitnam, the company’s president and CEO, launched the first scheduled helicopter service in Canada. His goal: increase commuter’s productivity by offering longer hours and more reliable flights.

“Danny saw that the ferry system took a lot of time and that floatplanes couldn’t be reliable because of the Pacific Northwest weather,” says Ken Glaze, vice president of business development. “The planes couldn’t operate in rain, snow, and fog, and they were limited by hours of daylight, which can last from just 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.”

Armed with a message of increased reliability and productivity, Helijet targeted time-sensitive professionals through traditional means like business publications, newspapers, radio, and sales people, says Rick Hill, vice president of operations and commercial programs.

But they also gained new customers from some unexpected press. “We were flying into the downtown core of an urban setting, and we got a lot of noise complaints that became a local media controversy,” Glaze says.

The team resolved the noise issues and gained community acceptance by agreeing to fly higher, stay over the water, and restrict hours. “But we learned from our initial passengers that many of them found out about us through the noise issue coverage,” Glaze says.

“We turned a negative into a positive,” Hill says. And after almost a quarter of a century, Helijet remains very friendly with the community and continues to fly high with scheduled flights, charter services, and even air medical services.

Relax! You’ve still got time before you need to take off!

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Website: www.helijet.com
Contact:
Corporate Office: 604-273-4688
Passenger Services: 800-665-4354