Private helicopter hire in the UAE
Sightseeing over Dubai and Abu Dhabi, city transfers and resort hops. What a helicopter costs per hour, where it can land, and the operators allowed to fly you.
- Private hire
- AED 5,830 to AED 17,020/hr
- On UAE charter fleets
- 54 helicopters
- Shared 12-min Dubai tour
- From AED 710
- Licence to carry you
- GCAA AOC
How helicopter hire works in the UAE
A private helicopter typically costs AED 5,830 to AED 17,020 per flight hour for the whole aircraft. Positioning, landing and handling fees and waiting time are added: Sharjah International, for example, charges a flat AED 600 to land any aircraft under 50 tonnes. Shared seats are cheaper: a 12-minute Dubai tour costs AED 710 per person with HeliDubai, as published on 19 October 2026.
You hire the whole helicopter and its pilot, on your schedule, from a helipad or airport in the Emirates to any site with landing permission.
A UAE-based operator needs a GCAA Air Operator Certificate and operations specifications before it flies passengers for money. 54 helicopters fly in the charter fleets of UAE certificate holders on our list, led by the Bell 412 and the Leonardo AW139.
Altivo Jets is a broker: we match your trip to a certified operator, name that operator and the full price before you book, and the operator arranges landing permission for each site.
Most sightseeing is sold by the seat. Falcon Helitours flies from Atlantis The Palm and Mina Zayed in Abu Dhabi, and HeliDubai from its helipad in Al Sufouh. Private transfers link Dubai with Abu Dhabi in about 35 minutes.
Sources:GCAA: CAAP-08, Issuance, renewal and amendment of an Air Operator Certificate (AOC), Issue 03, 8 February 2017GCAA (UAE): air operator certificate holders and fleets, compiled by Altivo from the EASA and UK CAA third-country operator lists (read 19 October 2026)Falcon Helitours (Falcon Aviation Services): Dubai and Abu Dhabi tour prices (read 19 October 2026)HeliDubai: Dubai helicopter tours, prices, helipad and FAQs (read 19 October 2026)Falcon Helitours: Dubai to Abu Dhabi city transfer (read 19 October 2026)HeliDubai: private charter and helicopter transfers (read 19 October 2026)Sharjah Airport: charges and conditions of use, landing and parking fees (checked 19 October 2026)
Helicopter hire by emirate
Tours of 12 to 60 minutes from Atlantis The Palm and Al Sufouh, from AED 710 per person.
17 and 30-minute tours from Mina Zayed from AED 700, and the 35-minute hop to Dubai.
Private transfers from Dubai to RAK International or the Jazirah Aviation Club airfield.
Sources:Falcon Helitours (Falcon Aviation Services): Dubai and Abu Dhabi tour prices (read 19 October 2026)HeliDubai: Dubai helicopter tours, prices, helipad and FAQs (read 19 October 2026)Falcon Helitours: Abu Dhabi helicopter tours (read 19 October 2026)Falcon Helitours: Dubai to Abu Dhabi city transfer (read 19 October 2026)HeliDubai: private charter and helicopter transfers (read 19 October 2026)
Tell us the dates and passengers. A specialist replies with aircraft options and an all-in price, around the clock.
Where helicopters take off and land
Tours and most transfers use a few established sites. Anywhere else needs an approved site and permission.
- Atlantis The Palm helipad, Palm Jumeirah: Falcon Helitours' Dubai tours and its transfer to Abu Dhabi.
- Dubai Police Academy, Al Sufouh 1, opposite Mall of the Emirates: HeliDubai's helipad, with tours daily from 09:30 to 18:00.
- Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi: Falcon Helitours' Abu Dhabi tours and the transfer to Dubai.
- Dubai International: helicopter movements are limited to the Dubai Air Wing premises and need its approval.
- Al Bateen Executive Airport, Abu Dhabi: the main base of Falcon Aviation Services.
- Resorts: HeliDubai lists Emirates Palace, Qasr Al Sarab, Sir Bani Yas Island, Nurai Island, Telal Resort Al Ain and Fairmont Ajman, each reconfirmed before payment.
Sources:Falcon Helitours (Falcon Aviation Services): Dubai and Abu Dhabi tour prices (read 19 October 2026)Falcon Helitours: Dubai to Abu Dhabi city transfer (read 19 October 2026)HeliDubai: Dubai helicopter tours, prices, helipad and FAQs (read 19 October 2026)Dubai Airports: Conditions of Use for General Aviation at Dubai International (DXB GA NS 25), effective 30 March 2025, landing charges and helicopter rule (checked 19 October 2026)Wikipedia: Falcon Aviation Services (founded 2006, main base Al Bateen)HeliDubai: private charter and helicopter transfers (read 19 October 2026)
Event and occasion helicopters
Yas Marina, 4 to 6 December 2026; Al Bateen is about 15 minutes from Yas Island.
Jumeirah Golf Estates, 12 to 15 November 2026.
Meydan, Saturday 27 March 2027.
The Burj Khalifa show on Thursday 31 December 2026.
Madinat Jumeirah, fair days 9 to 11 April 2027.
Dubai World Central, 15 to 19 November 2027.
One aircraft for the whole party, priced per aircraft.
What goes into a helicopter price
You charter the whole helicopter and its pilot, so the price is per flight, not per seat.
- Flying time at the hourly rate for the type: as a guide, AED 5,830 to AED 17,020 per flight hour for the whole helicopter.
- Repositioning flights when the helicopter is based away from your pickup point, both to reach you and to fly home.
- Landing fees: Sharjah International charges a flat AED 600 for aircraft under 50 tonnes, plus AED 100 a day for parking after the first six hours.
- At Dubai International, general aviation landings cost AED 16 per tonne of maximum take-off weight up to 4.5 tonnes and AED 18.58 per tonne from 4.5 to 45 tonnes, before VAT.
- Handling and parking charges, special permissions and peak or event surcharges, which HeliDubai lists among the items that shape a charter quote.
- VAT: the standard rate is 5%. International transport that starts or ends in the UAE is zero-rated and local passenger transport is exempt; Falcon Helitours' tour prices include 5% VAT.
- Waiting time if the helicopter holds for you during the day.
Sources:HeliDubai: private charter and helicopter transfers (read 19 October 2026)Dubai Airports: Conditions of Use for General Aviation at Dubai International (DXB GA NS 25), effective 30 March 2025, landing charges and helicopter rule (checked 19 October 2026)Sharjah Airport: charges and conditions of use, landing and parking fees (checked 19 October 2026)UAE Ministry of Finance: Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017 on Value Added Tax and amendments (Articles 3, 45 and 46)Falcon Helitours (Falcon Aviation Services): Dubai and Abu Dhabi tour prices (read 19 October 2026)
Check the operator holds a GCAA Air Operator Certificate
- Every commercial operator based in the UAE must hold a GCAA Air Operator Certificate and operations specifications before it flies commercially. Private owners hold a Private Operator Certificate instead.
- The GCAA revokes an AOC that has been inactive, suspended or lapsed for more than three months, so check the certificate is current.
- Ask for the AOC number. Operators approved to fly into Europe are listed with it on EASA's third-country operator list, including Abu Dhabi Aviation (AT-0001) and Falcon Aviation Services (AT-0030).
- Each emirate also has its own civil aviation authority, and routes are subject to its clearance. A landing away from an airport or established helipad needs an approved site, the owner's consent and permission.
- The Middle East Business Aviation Association said in November 2011 it was stepping up action against illegal charter operators, and industry speakers warned that passengers on such flights could be uninsured.
- As a broker, Altivo Jets names the operator and its certificate before you book.
Sources:GCAA: CAAP-08, Issuance, renewal and amendment of an Air Operator Certificate (AOC), Issue 03, 8 February 2017EASA third-country operator status report, with GCAA certificate numbers, as read on 16 October 2026Universal Weather and Aviation: UAE landing and overflight permit requirementsHeliDubai: private charter and helicopter transfers (read 19 October 2026)Aviation Week, 13 November 2011: MEBAA boss slams grey charters
Helicopters on UAE charter fleets
The types UAE certificate holders fly most, led by the Bell 412 and the Leonardo AW139. Each page shows how many fly and which operators have them.
Helicopter operators in the UAE
GCAA Air Operator Certificate holders with the largest helicopter fleets on our list. 1 operator flies helicopters in the UAE.
Questions, answered
Still deciding? A charter specialist will talk you through aircraft, airports and price, with no obligation.
Ask a specialistHow much does it cost to hire a helicopter in the UAE?+
As a guide, AED 5,830 to AED 17,020 per flight hour for the whole helicopter. Positioning, landing and handling fees, waiting time and VAT where it applies are added to the quote.
How much is a helicopter ride in Dubai?+
A seat on a shared 12-minute tour costs AED 710 with HeliDubai and AED 715 with Falcon Helitours. The whole helicopter for the same 12 minutes costs AED 3,145 for six seats with Falcon or AED 3,550 with HeliDubai.
How long does a helicopter take from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?+
About 35 minutes. Falcon Helitours flies between the Atlantis The Palm helipad and Mina Zayed in Abu Dhabi, for groups of up to six, and every passenger needs a passport or Emirates ID.
Who is allowed to fly me for money?+
A UAE-based operator needs a GCAA Air Operator Certificate and operations specifications before it carries passengers commercially. Ask for the AOC number; Altivo Jets names the operator before you book.
Is there VAT on a helicopter flight in the UAE?+
The standard rate is 5%. International transport that starts or ends in the UAE is zero-rated, and the law exempts local passenger transport. Falcon Helitours' published tour prices include 5% VAT.
Can a helicopter land at my hotel or villa?+
Only where there is an approved landing site, the property owner agrees and landing permission is granted. HeliDubai says some destinations have no suitable site, and it reconfirms every site before you pay.
Fares, dates and rules on this page were checked on October 2026. Official fares and schedules change every season; the operator or authority named in each source has the final word.
- 1.GCAA: CAAP-08, Issuance, renewal and amendment of an Air Operator Certificate (AOC), Issue 03, 8 February 2017
- 2.GCAA (UAE): air operator certificate holders and fleets, compiled by Altivo from the EASA and UK CAA third-country operator lists (read 19 October 2026)
- 3.Falcon Helitours (Falcon Aviation Services): Dubai and Abu Dhabi tour prices (read 19 October 2026)
- 4.HeliDubai: Dubai helicopter tours, prices, helipad and FAQs (read 19 October 2026)
- 5.Falcon Helitours: Dubai to Abu Dhabi city transfer (read 19 October 2026)
- 6.HeliDubai: private charter and helicopter transfers (read 19 October 2026)
- 7.Sharjah Airport: charges and conditions of use, landing and parking fees (checked 19 October 2026)
- 8.Falcon Helitours: Abu Dhabi helicopter tours (read 19 October 2026)
- 9.Dubai Airports: Conditions of Use for General Aviation at Dubai International (DXB GA NS 25), effective 30 March 2025, landing charges and helicopter rule (checked 19 October 2026)
- 10.Wikipedia: Falcon Aviation Services (founded 2006, main base Al Bateen)
- 11.UAE Ministry of Finance: Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017 on Value Added Tax and amendments (Articles 3, 45 and 46)
- 12.Universal Weather and Aviation: UAE landing and overflight permit requirements
- 13.Aviation Week, 13 November 2011: MEBAA boss slams grey charters
Tell us where the helicopter needs to go.
A specialist replies around the clock with aircraft options, the operator's name and an all-in price.