What Pacific Helicopters does

Pacific Helicopters Limited is a Papua New Guinea-based, privately held aviation company that has operated helicopter services across the Asia Pacific region since 1975. It provides heliportable seismic support, geological and mineral exploration, offshore petroleum exploration support, aerial survey and photography, power line and construction project support, and general charter services to oil, gas, mining, construction and telecommunications clients operating in PNG's remote mountainous, jungle and coastal environments. The company maintains a multi-type fleet — Airbus H145, BK117 (850), Bell 212 VFR/IFR, Bell 206 L3/L4 Longranger and Eurocopter AS350BA/B2 FX Squirrel — all fitted with satellite tracking technology, and operates the only IFR helicopter operation in PNG.

The company generates revenue through multi-year, project-based and contract engagements with enterprise and government clients, with all pricing issued via custom quote and no public rate card. It distributes exclusively through direct enterprise sales with no channel intermediaries, and its marketing relies on its professional website, industry reputation, and earned media coverage of long-standing client missions. Pacific Helicopters holds regulatory positions no competitor in PNG can match: it is the only operator with a CASAPNG 5-year Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and Maintenance Organisation Certificate (MOC), and it is accredited to Flight Safety Foundation Basic Aviation Risk Standards and the U.S. Department of Defense Commercial Aviation Resources Board (CARB). It also maintains a ~30-year strategic partnership with the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), supporting recovery missions to locate missing U.S. service members across PNG's challenging terrain. Operations are anchored at a headquarters in Goroka with a secondary facility in Port Moresby, and the company is estimated to employ 51–100 staff.

Name

Pacific Helicopters

Legal name

Pacific Helicopters Limited

Website

https://pacifichelicopters.aero

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Pacific Helicopters is a Papua New Guinea-based aviation company, founded in 1975, that provides helicopter charter, heliportable seismic, exploration, construction and offshore petroleum support to oil, gas, mining, construction, telecom and government clients across the Asia Pacific region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Helicopter Charter Services

akta.pro primary industry

Helicopter Crew Change & Offshore Passenger Transfers (Oil & Gas / Wind) (TLAFACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Offshore Marine & Aviation Support (PSVs, AHTS, Crew Boats, Helicopters) (EUALABAJ), Helicopter Charter & Sightseeing (TLAFABAH)

Keywords

• Helicopter charter services
• Seismic survey support
• Oil gas aviation
• Aerial survey photography
• Helicopter fleet operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Goroka

HQ country

Papua New Guinea

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Helicopter Charter Services: Providing helicopter services for oil, gas, mining, construction, and telecommunications companies. Services include heliportable seismic support, geological exploration, construction projects, IFR/VFR off-shore petroleum exploration, aerial survey and photography, power line construction, and general helicopter charter services. Revenue is generated through long-term contracts and project-based engagements.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Pacific Helicopters provides helicopter charter and aviation services for oil, gas, mining, construction, and telecommunications companies operating in Papua New Guinea. Core offerings include heliportable seismic survey support, geological exploration, off-shore petroleum exploration (IFR/VFR), construction project support including power line construction, aerial survey and photography, and general helicopter charter. Services are delivered through a fleet of single and twin engine helicopters equipped with satellite tracking technology.

Product overview

Pacific Helicopters is a helicopter services company operating a fleet of both single engine and twin engine helicopters, all fitted with the latest satellite tracking technology. The fleet includes the Airbus H145 (newest addition, first of its type in PNG), BK117 (850), Bell 212 VFR/IFR, Bell 206 L3/L4 Longranger, and Eurocopter AS350BA/B2 FX Squirrel. Services include heliportable seismic support, geological exploration, construction project support, off-shore petroleum exploration, aerial survey and photography, power line construction, and general charter services. The company specializes in operating in challenging environments including Papua New Guinea's inhospitable mountainous terrain, coastal swamplands, and dense jungle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seismic Survey Services Heliportable seismic support services with dedicated specialist teams of hand-picked pilots, capable of completing surveys in extreme environments from coastal swamplands to high altitude mountain tops, through jungle, gorges, rivers, and cliffs. Targeted at oil, gas, and mineral exploration companies needing seismic support in frontier PNG environments.
• Exploration Support Services Geological exploration and oil, gas, mineral deposit exploration support providing local knowledge and expertise for frontier country operations in Papua New Guinea's inhospitable environments. For resource extraction companies requiring aerial support for exploration activities.
• Construction Project Support Helicopter support for construction projects including power line construction, with precision long-line capabilities for moving materials and personnel to remote locations. For construction companies undertaking infrastructure projects in PNG.
• Off-Shore Petroleum Exploration IFR/VFR off-shore petroleum exploration support services enabling operations in challenging offshore environments with safety and reliability. For petroleum exploration companies requiring aerial support in offshore PNG operations.
• Aerial Survey and Photography Aerial survey and photography services for various commercial and mapping applications across Papua New Guinea's diverse terrain. For commercial and mapping clients needing aerial imagery.
• General Helicopter Charter Services General helicopter charter services with operations throughout the Asia Pacific region, supported by latest satellite tracking technology for safety and efficiency. For enterprise and government clients needing charter aviation across PNG and the broader Asia Pacific.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Nearly 30-year partnership supporting U.S. Department of Defense recovery missions to locate, recover, and identify missing service members from past conflicts in Papua New Guinea. Pacific Helicopters provides aerial support, flying DPAA teams and equipment to remote search areas, navigating PNG's unforgiving terrain and complex culture. The partnership involves co-ordination between military personnel, forensic specialists, historians, archaeologists, and aviation crews.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Airwork: New Zealand-based helicopter and fixed-wing operator providing offshore crew change, geophysical survey, and specialised aerial work across Australasia. Comparable in seismic survey support and offshore oil & gas helicopter operations in the Pacific region.

Broad incumbents

• Heli-One: One of the world's largest helicopter MRO and operator-support providers, with deep twin-engine fleet expertise. Comparable through fleet commonality (S-76, H145, BK117) and focus on helicopter lifecycle services for offshore and resource clients.
• Babcock Australasia (Helicopters): Diversified Australasian aviation and helicopter services provider with SAR, EMS, and offshore operations. Comparable in operating geography (PNG, Australia) and helicopter charter for resource extraction, but with broader portfolio and EMS focus.

Direct peers

• CHC Helicopter: Global helicopter services provider serving offshore oil & gas, search & rescue, and emergency medical services. Direct comparable in fleet mix (twin-engine IFR helicopters), offshore operations, and global government/enterprise contract model.
• Hevilift: Asia-Pacific helicopter operator with operations across PNG, Indonesia, and Australia serving oil & gas, mining, and government clients. Most direct comparable given shared PNG / Asia-Pacific geography and identical resource-extraction end markets.
• PHI Aviation: Global helicopter operator specialising in offshore oil & gas transport, emergency medical services, and helicopter maintenance. Comparable to Pacific in offshore petroleum exploration support and helicopter charter for resource-extraction end markets.
• Bristow Group: The world's largest helicopter operator focused on offshore oil & gas crew change and search & rescue. Directly comparable to Pacific Helicopters in serving oil & gas exploration and production clients via helicopter charter, with overlapping IFR offshore capabilities.

Others

• Airbus Helicopters: OEM manufacturer of the H145 and BK117 helicopters operated by Pacific Helicopters. Indirectly comparable as the equipment supplier enabling Pacific's H145 IFR upgrade; not a service competitor but a key relationship and ecosystem participant.
• Textron Aviation (Bell): OEM manufacturer of the Bell 212 and Bell 206 fleets operated by Pacific Helicopters. Indirectly comparable as the OEM supplier whose fleet and MOC relationship materially supports Pacific's operations, though not a direct service-operator peer.

Regional players

• Starflight Australia / Avation: Regional Australian/Asia-Pacific aviation services group with helicopter charter exposure. Comparable as a regional Asia-Pacific aviation operator serving resource and government markets, though with broader fixed-wing and less helicopter specialisation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pacific Helicopters