Private helicopter hire in Mexico
Airport hops in Mexico City, island flights from Cancún, scenic loops over Los Cabos and race days. What a helicopter costs per hour, where it can land, and who may fly you.
- Private hire
- MX$29,190 to MX$85,170/hr
- On Mexican charter fleets
- 37 helicopters
- Toluca to Mexico City
- 18 to 25 min
- Licence to carry you
- AFAC permit
How helicopter hire works in Mexico
A private helicopter typically costs MX$29,190 to MX$85,170 per flight hour for the whole aircraft, plus IVA at 16%. Positioning, landing charges and waiting time are added: at airports run by Grupo Olmeca-Maya-Mexica, such as Tulum, the general aviation tariff is MX$34.204 per tonne on a domestic flight and helicopters pay half of it. Short scenic flights cost less: Tofly7 lists a 15-minute flight near Cancún from MX$6,000 (January 2026).
You hire the whole helicopter and its pilot, on your schedule, from an airport or permitted heliport to any site cleared for that aircraft.
A paid helicopter flight in Mexico is non-scheduled air transport, flown as a charter or an air taxi under an AFAC permit that only Mexican companies can hold. 37 helicopters fly in the charter fleets of the Mexican operators on our list, most of them based at Toluca.
Altivo Jets is a broker: we match your trip to a permitted operator, name that operator and the full price before you book, and check that each landing site holds its permit.
Most flights are short. Toluca to Mexico City takes 18 to 25 minutes, Cancún to Cozumel about 17, and FlyCabo's scenic loops over Los Cabos last 20 or 40 minutes.
Sources:Cámara de Diputados: Ley de Aviación Civil, last reformed DOF 14 November 2025 (PDF)Reglamento de la Ley de Aviación Civil, Article 5 (non-scheduled domestic air transport and its modalities), consolidated text by mley.mxFlapper: helicopter charter in Mexico City and Toluca, checked 19 October 2026Flapper: private jet and helicopter charter in Cancún, checked 19 October 2026FlyCabo: helicopter tours, air taxi and private charters, checked 19 October 2026Cámara de Diputados: Ley de Aeropuertos, last reformed DOF 14 November 2025, articles 17 and 18 (PDF)Cámara de Diputados: Ley del Impuesto al Valor Agregado, official consolidated text (Articles 1 and 15)
Helicopter hire by city and resort
Toluca to the city in 18 to 25 minutes, landing at Helipuerto Capital by Polanco or another permitted pad.
Cozumel in about 17 minutes, Isla Mujeres 22 and Holbox 35; scenic flights from MX$6,000.
20 and 40-minute scenic flights from Los Cabos International, and air taxis to resorts.
Sources:Flapper: helicopter charter in Mexico City and Toluca, checked 19 October 2026Flapper: Helipuerto Capital, Montes Urales (HUM), checked 19 October 2026Flapper: private jet and helicopter charter in Cancún, checked 19 October 2026Tofly7, 2 January 2026 (updated 6 January): helicopter flights over the Mexican Caribbean, with pricesFlyCabo: helicopter tours, air taxi and private charters, checked 19 October 2026Yumping: Helikan S.A. de C.V. operator profile, Playa del Carmen and Cancún, checked 19 October 2026Universal Weather, 27 February 2025: Quintana Roo, operating to Cancún, Tulum and Cozumel
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
Helicopters use airports and permitted heliports. Every heliport runs under its own AFAC permit.
- Toluca (MMTO): open 24 hours, an airport of entry at 8,466 ft, where most private jets for Mexico City land and helicopters pick up at the FBO.
- Helipuerto Capital on Montes Urales, by Polanco: a ninth-floor pad certified for night flights and rated for helicopters up to 6.4 tonnes. Flapper counts 84 active heliports in Mexico City.
- Mexico City International: helicopter departures from Zone G, boarding at hangars 5, 6 or 9 after security.
- Cancún International: the general aviation terminal is open 24 hours, with customs and immigration at the FBO, so a helicopter can meet a private jet.
- Cabo San Lucas International (MMSL): every flight needs 24 hours' prior permission.
- A heliport permit can run for up to 30 years under article 17 of the Ley de Aeropuertos.
Sources:Acukwik: Toluca International Airport (MMTO), checked 19 October 2026Universal Weather, 10 February 2025: Mexico City business aviation destination guideFlapper: Helipuerto Capital, Montes Urales (HUM), checked 19 October 2026Flapper: helicopter charter in Mexico City and Toluca, checked 19 October 2026Universal Weather, 27 February 2025: Quintana Roo, operating to Cancún, Tulum and CozumelAcukwik: Cabo San Lucas International Airport (MMSL), checked 19 October 2026Cámara de Diputados: Ley de Aeropuertos, last reformed DOF 14 November 2025, articles 17 and 18 (PDF)
Event and occasion helicopters
30 October to 1 November 2026; jets land at Toluca.
Centro Citibanamex, Mexico City, 3 to 7 February 2027.
El Cardonal at Diamante, Los Cabos, 5 to 8 November 2026.
Starts and finishes in San José del Cabo; race week 9 to 15 November 2026.
Acapulco, 20 to 27 February 2027.
Main days 31 October to 2 November 2026.
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, MX$29,190 to MX$85,170 per flight hour for the whole helicopter.
- Positioning when the helicopter is based away from your pickup point, both to reach you and to fly home. Most charter helicopters on our Mexican list are based at Toluca.
- Landing fees: at airports run by Grupo Olmeca-Maya-Mexica, including Tulum, the general aviation tariff is MX$34.204 per tonne on a domestic flight and MX$76.932 on an international one, and helicopters pay 50% of the tariffs.
- Parking: the same group charges general aviation MX$1.80 per tonne per hour on domestic flights for stays of up to 24 hours. IVA is added to these airport charges.
- IVA at 16%. On international air transport only 25% of the service counts as supplied in Mexico, so the tax applies to that share.
- Waiting time if the helicopter holds for you during the day, or an overnight stay for the crew.
Sources:DOF: tariffs and prices (Annexes 1 and 2) of Grupo Aeroportuario, Ferroviario, de Servicios Auxiliares y Conexos Olmeca-Maya-Mexica, signed 14 November 2023, in force 11 December 2023 (checked 19 October 2026)DOF: Olmeca-Maya-Mexica tariffs for Aeropuerto Internacional del Norte and the Tulum FBO, signed 2 July 2024, with IVA added to the tariffs (checked 19 October 2026)Cámara de Diputados: Ley del Impuesto al Valor Agregado, official consolidated text (Articles 1 and 15)Ley del Impuesto al Valor Agregado, Article 16 (international transport and international air transport), consolidated text by mley.mx
Check the operator holds an AFAC permit
- A paid helicopter flight is non-scheduled air transport, which covers charter and air taxi work. It needs an AFAC permit, and that permit is granted only to Mexican companies.
- Air taxi aircraft may carry up to 19 passengers or 3,500 kg of cargo. Charter flights or packages need prior AFAC authorisation.
- Ask who operates the flight and for its AFAC permit number. Mexican operators that fly to the United States also hold US DOT permits, and the public dockets show their AFAC permit.
- Operators may use only aerodromes and heliports whose classification and category suit the aircraft and the service, so a hotel or private pad needs its own permit.
- From 1 January 2024 the AFAC replaced annual entry permits for foreign private aircraft with single-entry authorisations, which the US National Air Transportation Association describes as an effort to combat illegal charter in Mexico.
- The AFAC has run random ramp checks on foreign private and charter aircraft since November 2019, after long-running problems with illegal charter flights, according to the trip planner Universal Weather.
- As a broker, Altivo Jets names the operator and its AFAC permit before you book.
Sources:Cámara de Diputados: Ley de Aviación Civil, last reformed DOF 14 November 2025 (PDF)US Department of Transportation foreign air carrier dockets on regulations.gov, one per operator, showing the AFAC permit and fleet (linked from each operator page)Cámara de Diputados: Reglamento de la Ley de Aeropuertos, last reformed DOF 9 June 2026, article 17 (PDF)National Air Transportation Association, 13 February 2024: AFAC mandates in effect for private operatorsUniversal Weather, 4 December 2019 (modified 28 March 2025): new random ramp checks in Mexico
Helicopters on Mexican charter fleets
The types Mexican permit holders fly most, from the Airbus H145 and Leonardo AW139 to the Bell 407. Each page shows how many fly and which operators have them.
Helicopter operators in Mexico
AFAC permit holders with the largest helicopter fleets on our list. 6 operators fly helicopters in Mexico.
28 helicopters: Airbus H145, Airbus H175, Leonardo AW139
3 helicopters: Bell 407
2 helicopters: Airbus H145, Leonardo AW109
2 helicopters: Airbus AS365 Dauphin
1 helicopter: Leonardo AW109
1 helicopter: Leonardo AW109
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 rent a helicopter in Mexico?+
As a guide, MX$29,190 to MX$85,170 per flight hour for the whole helicopter. Positioning, landing and handling charges, waiting time and IVA are added to the quote.
How much is a helicopter tour in Cancún?+
Tofly7, flying from Puerto Morelos, lists a 15-minute scenic flight from MX$6,000 and a 40-minute flight over Cancún from MX$16,000 (January 2026). It does not say whether the price is per person or per flight, so we confirm it on the quote.
How long is the helicopter from Toluca to Mexico City?+
About 18 to 25 minutes, depending on the helicopter, plus about 5 minutes for start-up and climb. It lands on a permitted city helipad such as Helipuerto Capital by Polanco.
Who is allowed to fly me for money?+
Only a Mexican company holding an AFAC permit for charter or air taxi work. An air taxi may carry up to 19 passengers. Altivo Jets names the operator and its permit before you book.
Is there IVA on a helicopter flight?+
Yes, at 16%. For international air transport only 25% of the service counts as supplied in Mexico, so the tax falls on that share; flights to towns within 20 km of the northern and southern borders are treated the same way.
Can a helicopter land on any building or at my hotel?+
No. Each heliport needs its own AFAC permit, and an operator may use only aerodromes and heliports whose classification suits the aircraft and the service. We check the site's permit before we quote.
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.Cámara de Diputados: Ley de Aviación Civil, last reformed DOF 14 November 2025 (PDF)
- 2.Reglamento de la Ley de Aviación Civil, Article 5 (non-scheduled domestic air transport and its modalities), consolidated text by mley.mx
- 3.Flapper: helicopter charter in Mexico City and Toluca, checked 19 October 2026
- 4.Flapper: private jet and helicopter charter in Cancún, checked 19 October 2026
- 5.FlyCabo: helicopter tours, air taxi and private charters, checked 19 October 2026
- 6.Cámara de Diputados: Ley de Aeropuertos, last reformed DOF 14 November 2025, articles 17 and 18 (PDF)
- 7.Cámara de Diputados: Ley del Impuesto al Valor Agregado, official consolidated text (Articles 1 and 15)
- 8.Flapper: Helipuerto Capital, Montes Urales (HUM), checked 19 October 2026
- 9.Tofly7, 2 January 2026 (updated 6 January): helicopter flights over the Mexican Caribbean, with prices
- 10.Yumping: Helikan S.A. de C.V. operator profile, Playa del Carmen and Cancún, checked 19 October 2026
- 11.Universal Weather, 27 February 2025: Quintana Roo, operating to Cancún, Tulum and Cozumel
- 12.Acukwik: Toluca International Airport (MMTO), checked 19 October 2026
- 13.Universal Weather, 10 February 2025: Mexico City business aviation destination guide
- 14.Acukwik: Cabo San Lucas International Airport (MMSL), checked 19 October 2026
- 15.DOF: tariffs and prices (Annexes 1 and 2) of Grupo Aeroportuario, Ferroviario, de Servicios Auxiliares y Conexos Olmeca-Maya-Mexica, signed 14 November 2023, in force 11 December 2023 (checked 19 October 2026)
- 16.DOF: Olmeca-Maya-Mexica tariffs for Aeropuerto Internacional del Norte and the Tulum FBO, signed 2 July 2024, with IVA added to the tariffs (checked 19 October 2026)
- 17.Ley del Impuesto al Valor Agregado, Article 16 (international transport and international air transport), consolidated text by mley.mx
- 18.US Department of Transportation foreign air carrier dockets on regulations.gov, one per operator, showing the AFAC permit and fleet (linked from each operator page)
- 19.Cámara de Diputados: Reglamento de la Ley de Aeropuertos, last reformed DOF 9 June 2026, article 17 (PDF)
- 20.National Air Transportation Association, 13 February 2024: AFAC mandates in effect for private operators
- 21.Universal Weather, 4 December 2019 (modified 28 March 2025): new random ramp checks in Mexico
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.