Alpine Helicopters

What Alpine Helicopters does

Alpine Helicopters is a private Swiss helicopter services operator incorporated as Alpine Helicopters SA and headquartered at Chemin Lambien 10, 1950 Sion, in the canton of Valais. The company runs a modern helicopter fleet from Sion Airport and offers a diversified service portfolio: panoramic leisure flights (Vols Loisirs & Apéro) priced per passenger from CHF 180 to CHF 690 with a four-passenger minimum across routes such as Glacier 3000, the Tour du Cervin, and the Alpes Ultime multi-country itinerary; VIP transfers with chauffeur and luxury amenities; heliski operations across multiple landing zones in Valais; external load transport and aerial work covering material transport, mountain cabin resupply, firefighting support, avalanche control, geological surveys, and infrastructure inspection; helicopter pilot training; and Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization (CAMO) maintenance. The customer base spans individual tourists, skiers and winter-sports travelers, VIP and executive clients, industrial and professional operators, and aspiring pilots.

The company's distinct technical asset is a proprietary Collective Pitch Extension (CPE) kit for the Eurocopter AS-350 B3, engineered to improve pilot comfort during external load operations in vertical reference and certified by the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation under Supplemental Type Certificate FOCA 67-10-001 — described in the source material as the only such approval for the AS-350 B3 in Europe. The CPE is manufactured in Switzerland under pilot-developed ergonomic design and can be installed in roughly 30 minutes. Beyond aviation operations, the company markets the CPE as a standalone hardware product to external operators.

Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and direct-to-business: scenic flights are sold via phone (+41 27 306 32 32), email ([email protected]), website contact form, and an embedded FareHarbor booking widget; heliski, VIP, and external load assignments are largely phone-mediated for personalized service. Marketing channels are predominantly organic: the Wix-hosted website with blog content, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Google Analytics for traffic measurement. Revenue mechanics are largely transactional (one-time per-flight or per-program pricing) supplemented by professional services for external load work, pilot training, and CAMO contracts, plus discrete hardware revenue from CPE sales. No revenue, headcount, or financial-performance figures are disclosed by the company.

Name

Alpine Helicopters

Legal name

Alpine Helicopters SA

Website

https://alpineheli.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alpine Helicopters is a Sion, Switzerland-based helicopter services operator offering scenic flights, VIP transfers, heliskiing, external load transport, aerial work, pilot training, and CAMO maintenance, serving tourists, skiers, executives, and industrial clients across the Swiss and French Alps.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Helicopter Services

NAICS

Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812), Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation (481219), Air Transportation (481)

akta.pro primary industry

Helicopter Charter & Sightseeing (TLAFABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

On-Demand Helicopter Charter (Private/Corporate) (TLAFACAB), Helicopter Sightseeing & Scenic Tours (TLAFACAD), Helicopter Resort & Remote Destination Transfers (TLAFACAF), VIP/Executive Helicopter Transport (THABAGAH)

Keywords

• Helicopter services
• Scenic flights
• Heliskiing operations
• VIP air transfers
• Aerial work

Headquarters

HQ city

Sion

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Scenic/Leisure Flights: Panoramic helicopter flights over the Swiss and French Alps departing from Sion, including apéro flights with champagne service. Pricing per person with minimum 4 passengers required for most routes. Flight durations range from 15 to 70 minutes.
2. VIP Helicopter Transfers: Premium transport service offering helicopter transfers with additional amenities including limousine chauffeur service, aircraft connections, and in-flight hospitality. Discretion, qualified personnel, and safety emphasized.
3. Heliski Services: Heliski experiences in the Swiss Alps with multiple pickup locations and numerous mountain landing zones in Valais. Accompanied by experienced mountain guides. Priced per person with minimum 4 participants.
4. External Load Transport & Aerial Work: Helicopter services for material transport, precision assembly, mountain cabin resupply, forest logging, firefighting, avalanche control, geological surveys, infrastructure inspection, and aerial photography/video. Services for both individuals and professionals, including fleet supplementation during peak activity periods.
5. Pilot Training: Helicopter pilot training programs offered as part of the company's service portfolio. Quality-focused instruction with innovation and advanced skills development.
6. Collective Pitch Extension Sales: Sale of proprietary AS-350 B3 collective pitch extension kit. The only STC-approved extension of its kind in Europe, with Swiss OFAC approval (STC FOCA 67-10-001).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Alpine Helicopters operates a modern helicopter fleet from Sion Airport in Valais, Switzerland, providing professional helicopter services including panoramic leisure flights with apéro experiences, heliskiing expeditions, VIP transfers, and external load transport for industrial aerial work such as mountain cabin resupply, firefighting, avalanche control, and infrastructure inspection. The company also offers helicopter pilot training and manufactures and sells a proprietary Collective Pitch Extension (CPE) kit for the Eurocopter AS-350 B3 — the only STC-approved kit of its kind in Europe.

Product overview

Alpine Helicopters is a helicopter company based in Sion, Valais, Switzerland, operating a fleet of modern helicopters for various aviation services. The company offers a portfolio of core helicopter services including leisure panoramic flights (Vols Loisirs & Apéro), VIP transport and transfers (Vol & Transfert VIP), heliskiing adventures (Heliski), and external load transport with aerial work (Transport de charges externes & Travaux aériens). Additionally, the company provides aerial photography and videography, CAMO maintenance services, and pilot training programs. The standout proprietary product is the AS-350 B3 Collective Pitch Extension, a Swiss-manufactured hardware kit approved by Swiss OFAC (STC FOCA 67-10-001) for improving pilot comfort during external load operations. The company integrates with FareHarbor for online booking, Google Maps for location services, and Google Analytics for web analytics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vols Loisirs & Apéro (Leisure & Apero Flights) Panoramic scenic helicopter flights departing from Sion offering views of the Swiss and French Alps. Routes include Glacier 3000 (CHF 180, ~15 min), Tseuzier & Wildhorn (CHF 260, ~20-25 min), Tour du Cervin with champagne (CHF 350, ~30-35 min), La Patrouille (CHF 480, ~40-45 min), and Alpes Ultime (CHF 690, ~65-70 min). Minimum 4 passengers per route. Targeted at individual tourists and leisure travelers.
• Vol & Transfert VIP (VIP Flights & Transfers) Premium helicopter transport service featuring professional pilots, discretion, and enhanced security. Includes optional services such as chauffeur-driven limousine connections, aircraft connections, and in-flight amenities. Targeted at VIP and executive travelers.
• Heliski Heliskiing experience in the Swiss Alps combining helicopter transport to mountain peaks with guided skiing on pristine slopes. Includes multiple landing sites throughout Valais, mandatory mountain guide accompaniment, and customizable routes based on conditions and skill level. Targeted at skiers and winter sports enthusiasts.
• Transport de charges externes & Travaux aériens (External Load Transport & Aerial Work) Specialized helicopter services including external load transport, precision assembly, mountain hut resupply, forestry logging, firefighting support, avalanche control, geological surveys, and infrastructure inspection. Services target both private individuals and professionals seeking aircraft or temporary fleet augmentation during peak activity periods.
• Collective Pitch Extension (AS-350 B3)

Segments5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Air-Glaciers: Air-Glaciers is one of Switzerland's largest helicopter operators, also headquartered in the Valais canton and offering scenic flights, heliskiing, heliwork, and external load transport from Sion and other alpine bases. Direct overlap in geography, services, and customer segments.
• Mountainflyers: Mountainflyers offers helicopter scenic flights and discovery tours in the Swiss Alps, including the Bernese Oberland. Comparable leisure/scenic product with similar per-person pricing model and minimal-pax requirements.
• Heli-Alpes: Heli-Alpes is a Swiss alpine helicopter operator providing scenic tours, VIP transfers, and heliski services primarily from bases in the Swiss-French alpine border region. Closely comparable service mix and customer base to Alpine Helicopters.
• Heli-Bernina: Heli-Bernina is a regional Swiss helicopter operator offering scenic flights and heliskiing from the Engadin/Samedan area. Comparable alpine scenic and heliski product operating from a similar regional airport base.

Broad incumbents

• Zimex Aviation: Zimex Aviation is a Swiss-headquartered aviation group with helicopter, charter, and mission services across Europe and globally. Operates in similar aerial-work and passenger segments but on a much larger scale and broader footprint.
• Swiss Helicopter (formerly Heliswiss): Swiss Helicopter is the largest helicopter company in Switzerland operating across multiple bases with a portfolio spanning tourism, work, rescue, and training. Broader incumbent with overlapping but more diversified service portfolio.

Regional players

• Helitrans AS: Helitrans is a Norwegian helicopter operator with similar commercial offering in external load, scenic flights, and aerial work. Comparable service lines but operates in Scandinavia rather than the Alps.

Others

• Airbus Helicopters (AS-350/H125 franchise): Airbus Helicopters is the OEM of the AS-350 B3 platform that Alpine Helicopters operates and for which it holds the European STC on its collective pitch extension kit. Relevant as supplier and platform authority rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/alpineheli.ch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alpine-helicopters
• Instagraminstagram.com/alpine_helicopters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Alpine Helicopters