Alpine Air Alaska
Alpine Air Alaska is a privately held helicopter tour operator in Girdwood and Valdez, Alaska, offering glacier landings, flightseeing, tether-free glacier dogsledding, charters, and weddings to tourists and government clients since 1991.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersGirdwood, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Alpine Air Alaska does
Alpine Air Alaska is a Southcentral Alaska helicopter tour and aviation services company founded in 1991, headquartered in Girdwood with a secondary operations base in Valdez. The company operates a mixed fleet of Robinson R44 Raven II, Robinson R66, and Airbus AS350 B2/B3/B3e helicopters configured for passenger flightseeing, glacier landings, charter, and utility work. Its core product is direct-to-consumer helicopter experiences, including scenic flightseeing, glacier landings, Prince William Sound tours, and the only tether-free glacier dogsledding operation in Alaska, run in partnership with three-generation Iditarod champion Mitch Seavey and Ididaride Kennel. The company also operates charter and utility services for government, telecommunications, and film/photography clients, as well as glacier weddings, elopements, and special events.
The business runs on a direct-to-consumer go-to-market, with the majority of tour bookings handled through the company website via the FareHarbor booking system, supplemented by phone reservations and a shuttle service from Anchorage hotels to the Girdwood hangar. Pricing is unit-based, with flightseeing starting at $375 per person and the shuttle at $75 per person round trip. Marketing is primarily organic and content-driven: the company website, blog, email newsletter, Instagram, Facebook, and 5/5 ratings on Google and Tripadvisor. Operating permits are held with Chugach National Forest, Alaska State Parks, and the Municipality of Anchorage, and the company maintains OAS/USFS certification enabling federal charter contracts. Customer segments span tourist families and groups, couples and wedding parties, and adventure tourists, with a secondary business and government charter segment.
Alpine Air Alaska firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Alpine Air Alaska
- Legal name
- Alpine Air Alaska LLC
- Website
- https://alpineairalaska.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Alpine Air Alaska is a privately held helicopter tour operator in Girdwood and Valdez, Alaska, offering glacier landings, flightseeing, tether-free glacier dogsledding, charters, and weddings to tourists and government clients since 1991.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Alpine Air Alaska industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Helicopter Tour Services
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (561520), Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation (481219)
- SIC
- Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scenic & Sightseeing Helicopter Tours (THABAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Helicopter Charter & Sightseeing (TLAFABAH), Mountain, Glacier & Alpine Nature Tours (THAJAIAF)
Keywords
Where Alpine Air Alaska is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Girdwood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Alpine Air Alaska business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Helicopter Tour Sales: Direct sale of helicopter flightseeing experiences including glacier landings, dogsledding tours, Prince William Sound tours, and special event/wedding flights. Customers purchase individual tour tickets with prices starting at $375 per person for flightseeing experiences. Gift cards available for future flights.
- Charter and Utility Services: Private helicopter charter services for businesses and individuals requiring access to Alaska's backcountry, including government contracts, telecommunications support, environmental studies, fuel transport, and precision long-line operations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Flightseeing Tour - $375/person |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Shuttle Service - $75/person round trip |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Weather Cancellation Policy |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Alpine Air Alaska product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Alpine Air Alaska operates a fleet of helicopters (Robinson R44 Raven II, Robinson R66, and Airbus AS350) from Girdwood and Valdez, Alaska, to sell flightseeing tours, glacier landing excursions, glacier dogsledding experiences in partnership with the Seavey family's Ididaride Kennel, wedding and special event flights, and B2B charter and utility operations for government, telecommunications, and film production clients. Revenue is generated per-seat or per-tour on the consumer side and per-mission for charter services, with bookings handled through the FareHarbor platform, phone, and direct quotes.
Product overview
Alpine Air Alaska operates as a helicopter tour company offering a portfolio of aerial adventure experiences centered on glacier exploration and Alaska wilderness access. The core offering includes flightseeing tours ranging from 30 minutes to over an hour, glacier landing tours with ground exploration time, and the unique tether-free glacier dog sledding experience in partnership with the Seavey family's Ididaride Kennel. The Ultimate Summer Tour combines dog sledding with glacier landing for a bundled experience with 10% savings. Services are available from two base locations: Girdwood (near Anchorage) and Valdez, with the Prince William Sound Tour and Columbia Glacier Spectacular offering extended flight times. Beyond recreational tours, the company provides charter and utility services for commercial, governmental, and cinematic purposes, along with special event helicopter weddings. Booking is handled through FareHarbor, with optional shuttle service from Anchorage.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Helicopter Flightseeing Tours Scenic aerial helicopter tours over Alaska's Chugach Mountains, glaciers, and wilderness areas for tourists and visitors departing from the Girdwood base.
- Glacier Landing Tour Scenic helicopter flight from Girdwood with a 20-minute glacier landing allowing guests to step out and explore ancient glacial ice formations.
- Glacier Discovery Tour Extended 1.5-hour helicopter tour from Girdwood featuring two separate glacier or alpine ridge landings that provide more exploration time and photo opportunities.
- Prince William Sound Tour Full-hour helicopter tour from Girdwood flying over Prince William Sound tidewater glaciers with a 25-30 minute glacier landing, offering views of marine wildlife including seals and whales.
- Ultimate Summer Tour Bundled 2.5-hour summer tour from Girdwood combining the Glacier Dogsledding experience with the Glacier Landing Tour at a 10% savings, offering more flight time than any other combo tour in Alaska.
- Glacier Dog Sledding Tour Helicopter-accessed glacier dogsledding experience on the Punchbowl Glacier featuring Iditarod-champion sled dogs from the Seavey family's Ididaride Kennel, with the only tether-free sled dog setup in Alaska and puppy interaction opportunities.
- Columbia Glacier Spectacular Tour Extended 1.5-hour helicopter tour departing from Valdez to Columbia Glacier, the second-largest tidewater glacier in Alaska, with extra flight time optimized for glacier viewing.
- Glacier Explorer Tour (Valdez) One-hour helicopter tour from Valdez combining aerial views of glaciers and surrounding terrain with ground exploration time on a glacier for photos and video.
- Glacier View Tour (Valdez) 30-minute aerial helicopter tour from Valdez offering views of glaciers and the Chugach Mountains without a landing, designed to be suitable for all ages.
- 30-Minute Flightseeing Tour Entry-level 30-minute helicopter tour from Girdwood offering aerial views of glaciers, rugged peaks, and opportunities to spot wildlife along the mountainsides.
- Charter and Utility Services Private helicopter charter and utility services for statewide transportation, government and industry support, external cargo loads, photography, film production, fire utility, oil and gas, heli-ski, and resource exploration or survey work. OAS/USFS certified pilots and aircraft available.
- Special Events and Weddings Helicopter-accessed private glacier weddings, elopements, engagements, and special occasion celebrations for parties of up to six passengers departing from Girdwood.
- Gift Cards Gift cards with customizable monetary value redeemable by recipients on any future Alpine Air Alaska helicopter flight experience.
- Anchorage/Girdwood Shuttle Service Shared shuttle transportation service between Anchorage hotels and B&Bs and the Girdwood helicopter hangar, priced at $75 per person round trip.
Quantifiable outcome
- 30+ years of safe flying operations in Alaska
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Alpine Air Alaska
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Alpine Air Alaska technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
Alpine Air Alaska partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Seavey Family / Ididaride KennelcorePartnership with three-generation Iditarod champion Mitch Seavey and Ididaride Kennel for glacier dogsledding tours. The Seavey family provides sled dogs and professional mushers for the only tether-free glacier dogsledding experience in Alaska. Dogs train year-round on Punchbowl Glacier, providing authentic Iditarod racing culture experiences for tourists.
- Chugach AdventurescorePartnership with Chugach Adventures for backcountry hiking, rafting, and heli-adventure experiences departing from Girdwood. Combined helicopter access with guided river rafting and hiking excursions into remote wilderness areas accessible only by helicopter.
- Ascending PathcorePartnership with Ascending Path for glacier hiking, ice climbing, and overnight glacier camping experiences. Ascending Path guides accompany guests on helicopter-accessed glacier adventures including technical ice climbing instruction.
- US Forest Service (USFS)coreGovernment partnership operating under permits with Chugach National Forest. Company holds OAS/USFS certification for pilots and aircraft, meeting high standards for flight safety and pilot skill required for government contracts.
- Alaska State ParkscoreOperating permits with Alaska State Parks for tour operations in state park areas.
- Municipality of AnchoragecoreOperating permits with Municipality of Anchorage for tour operations in municipal jurisdiction areas.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Alpine Air Alaska competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Maritime Helicopters: Maritime Helicopters provides sightseeing tours and charter operations across Alaska, including glacier access and backcountry support, making it a comparable operator for both tourism and utility helicopter work.
- Bellanger Helicopters: Bellanger Helicopters operates glacier landing tours and charter services in Southcentral Alaska, with overlapping customer segments (tourists, charter clients) and similar helicopter fleet configurations.
- TEMSCO Helicopters: TEMSCO operates helicopter flightseeing, glacier landings, and dog-sledding tours across Juneau, Skagway, and other Alaska hubs. It is the most direct competitor to Alpine Air in Alaska helicopter sightseeing, with overlapping product offerings (glacier tours, dogsledding) and similar target customers.
- Northstar Helicopters (HeliStar Alaska): HeliStar operates helicopter glacier tours and dogsledding experiences in the Alaska/Yukon region, including remote landing access. It competes head-to-head with Alpine Air on the glacier-flightseeing-plus-dogsledding bundle.
- Coastal Helicopters: Coastal Helicopters provides flightseeing, glacier tours, and charter services in Alaska. Its tour portfolio and geographic proximity make it a direct comparable for sightseeing and charter operations.
- Frontier Helicopter Tours: Frontier Helicopter Tours operates glacier tours and dog-sledding experiences from Juneau, directly competing with Alpine Air's helicopter sightseeing and dogsledding offerings in the Alaska tourism market.
Broad incumbents
- Era Helicopters (Era Alaska): Era is a long-established Alaska helicopter operator providing flightseeing, charter, and utility services across multiple bases. It overlaps with Alpine Air on sightseeing tours and charter/utility work, but operates at a much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
Emerging players
- Valdez Heli-Ski Guides: Based in Valdez like one of Alpine Air's bases, Valdez Heli-Ski Guides operates helicopter-accessed skiing and adventure experiences. It overlaps with Alpine Air's helicopter adventure offerings and the Valdez customer pool, though focused on heli-skiing.
- Black Sheep Adventures: Alaska adventure tour operator offering heli-hiking, glacier access, and backcountry experiences. Overlaps with Alpine Air's helicopter-accessed hiking partnership offerings and shares a similar adventure-tourist customer base.
Others
- Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race (Tour Operators): While not a direct tour operator, the Iditarod ecosystem and its associated kennels (including the Seavey family) shape the competitive landscape for Alaska dogsledding tourism. Relevant as an ecosystem/brand adjacency to Alpine Air's signature tether-free dogsledding product.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Alpine Air Alaska social profiles
Digital presenceAlpine Air Alaska financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Alpine Air Alaska leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Alpine Air Alaska funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Alpine Air Alaska M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Alpine Air Alaska
What does Alpine Air Alaska do?
Alpine Air Alaska operates a fleet of helicopters (Robinson R44 Raven II, Robinson R66, and Airbus AS350) from Girdwood and Valdez, Alaska, to sell flightseeing tours, glacier landing excursions, glacier dogsledding experiences in partnership with the Seavey family's Ididaride Kennel, wedding and special event flights, and B2B charter and utility operations for government, telecommunications, and film production clients. Revenue is generated per-seat or per-tour on the consumer side and per-mission for charter services, with bookings handled through the FareHarbor platform, phone, and direct quotes.
Is Alpine Air Alaska a public or private company?
Alpine Air Alaska is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Alpine Air Alaska founded?
Alpine Air Alaska was founded in 1991. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Alpine Air Alaska based?
Alpine Air Alaska is headquartered in Girdwood, United States, in the North America region.
How does Alpine Air Alaska make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Helicopter Tour Sales are the primary driver. The others are charter and Utility Services.
Who are Alpine Air Alaska's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Maritime Helicopters, Bellanger Helicopters, TEMSCO Helicopters, Northstar Helicopters (HeliStar Alaska), Coastal Helicopters and Frontier Helicopter Tours. Era Helicopters (Era Alaska) is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Valdez Heli-Ski Guides and Black Sheep Adventures. Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race (Tour Operators) is listed as an others.
Does Alpine Air Alaska have an API?
No public API is recorded for Alpine Air Alaska.
What industry is Alpine Air Alaska in?
Alpine Air Alaska's product category is Helicopter Tour Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THABAGAE, Scenic & Sightseeing Helicopter Tours, with a secondary code of TLAFABAH, Helicopter Charter & Sightseeing. Its NAICS code is 561520 and its SIC code is 4522.