The UK’s first public helicopter service to sell individual seats online launches on 1st May when The London Helicopter introduces regular sightseeing flights from The Barclays London Heliport in Battersea.

This innovative offering at www.thelondonhelicopter.com allows passengers to pre-book seats for helicopter sightseeing trips over the Capital taking off from London’s only commercially licensed Heliport.

The new London service will bring unrivalled convenience to what is a breathtaking experience.

The London Helicopter’s unique real-time booking system, allows customers to search availability [up to 12 months in advance], make reservations, pay and check-in, all in one easy transaction, just like the airlines. Prices per person for this unique experience start from £199 and complement similar services offered from the company’s Redhill base where prices start at £129.

The helicopter route over London follows The River Thames from Putney in the West to Greenwich in the East, climbing to over 1,000ft above the City’s stunning skyline. During the flight passengers will get to see some of the capital’s most historic landmarks including Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, The Tower of London, and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and new attractions like The Shard. Famous sporting venues including Wembley, The Emirates and the Olympic Stadium are also visible from the route. Flights from the Barclays London Heliport, operated by a variety of helicopters in the company’s fleet, will last for approximately 20 minutes.

The London Helicopter’s passengers are welcomed at the Barclays London Heliport by experienced and attentive staff, who will provide a full pre-flight safety and security briefing. The London Helicopter’s operation is fully licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA AOC No 2250).

Chris Mann, MD of The London Helicopter says: “We’re thrilled to be launching the first London based helicopter sightseeing service from London’s only Heliport. Joining the likes of New York, Las Vegas and Cape Town makes us enormously proud.”

Simon Hutchins, Manager of the Barclays London Heliport says: “We are very excited that The London Helicopter will operate these tours and attract a new profile of customers to the Barclays London Heliport. We believe that this one of a kind venture will be successful and can mirror the experiences available at other great cities in the world.”

About The London Helicopter

Flights on The London Helicopter are managed by London Helicopter Tours Ltd. a subsidiary of the aircraft operator London Helicopter Centres Ltd. who are based near Gatwick Airport in Surrey UK at Redhill Aerodrome. The London Helicopter’s website was set up in October 2012 to introduce a full online booking service for the existing helicopter sightseeing flights from Redhill. Since 1999, London Helicopter Centres have flown more than 35,000 people on London sightseeing flights. [http://www.thelondonhelicopter.com/]

Part of Patriot Aerospace Group, London Helicopter Centres are one of the UK’s foremost helicopter charter companies serving London and the South East. In addition to the helicopter charter market, London Helicopter Centres have been providing pilot training since 1994 and helicopter maintenance since inception in 1991.

Editor note – the photo accompanying the press release features AS350 G-ORKI.  The news footage on ITV News also showed BK117 G-RESC in use, both in an all-yellow scheme.