Private helicopter hire in Saudi Arabia
Airport transfers, city hops in Riyadh, sightseeing and event flights. What a helicopter costs per hour, where it can land, and who is licensed to fly you.
- Private hire
- SAR 5,950 to SAR 17,370/hr
- On Saudi charter fleets
- 77 helicopters
- Riyadh or Jeddah landing
- SAR 13 to 14 per tonne
- Licence to carry you
- GACA Part 135
How helicopter hire works in Saudi Arabia
A private helicopter typically costs SAR 5,950 to SAR 17,370 per flight hour for the whole aircraft. Positioning, landing charges and waiting time are added: under GACA's published charges, landing at Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam costs SAR 13 per tonne of maximum take-off weight up to 5 tonnes and SAR 14 per tonne from 5 to 45 tonnes. VAT is 15%, and only flights into or out of the Kingdom are zero-rated.
You hire the whole helicopter and its crew, on your schedule, from an airport or approved helipad to any site with landing permission.
Paid helicopter flights in Saudi Arabia are certified by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), and unscheduled charters fly under GACAR Part 135. 77 helicopters fly in the charter fleets on our Saudi list, 40 of them Leonardo AW139s.
Altivo Jets is a broker: we match your trip to a licensed operator, name that operator and the full price before you book, and confirm the landing sites on the quote.
The Helicopter Company, set up by the Public Investment Fund in 2018 and flying since mid-2019, sells sightseeing tours online through webook.com and airport to city transfers in Riyadh and Jeddah through Almosafer.
Sources:GACA e-service: Air operator certification, GACAR Part 135 commercial operationsGACA (Saudi Arabia): operator certificates and fleets, compiled by Altivo from GACA announcements and operator statements (read 19 October 2026)The Helicopter Company, 17 June 2026: delivery of the 40th Leonardo AW139The Helicopter Company: about us, licences, locations and milestones (checked 19 October 2026)Public Investment Fund: The Helicopter Company (checked 19 October 2026)The Helicopter Company, 1 October 2026: sightseeing tours bookable online with webook.comThe Helicopter Company, 18 November 2025: Almosafer partnership for helicopter transfers and tours
Helicopter hire by city
Sources:The Helicopter Company, 1 October 2026: sightseeing tours bookable online with webook.comThe Helicopter Company, 5 November 2025: helicopter air mobility flights activated at KAFD, RiyadhThe Helicopter Company, 18 November 2025: Almosafer partnership for helicopter transfers and toursUniversal Weather: business jet destination guide, Saudi Arabia (updated April 2022)
Tell us the dates and passengers. A specialist replies with aircraft options and an all-in price, around the clock.
Where helicopters land
Helicopters use airports, approved helipads and sites agreed with the landowner.
- King Khalid International (Riyadh), King Abdulaziz International (Jeddah) and King Fahd International (Dammam) are the Kingdom's 24-hour airports of entry.
- The KAFD helipad in Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District: The Helicopter Company began flights from it in November 2025 and signed an agreement with the district's developer in February 2026 to activate its helipads.
- Diriyah, the Edge of the World and Ushaiqer: three landing sites covering 28,500 square metres, agreed with Riyadh Municipality in June 2024. No opening dates have been published.
- Flights from abroad need a GACA landing permit filed by the operator, and smaller airports often have curfews.
- The Helicopter Company's network map names 16 places, among them Riyadh, Jeddah, AlUla, NEOM, the Red Sea, Tabuk and Al Hasa.
Sources:Universal Weather: business jet destination guide, Saudi Arabia (updated April 2022)The Helicopter Company, 5 November 2025: helicopter air mobility flights activated at KAFD, RiyadhThe Helicopter Company, 4 February 2026: MoU with KAFD DMC to enable helicopter services in RiyadhThe Helicopter Company, 2 June 2024: MoU with Riyadh Municipality for three new landing sitesThe Helicopter Company: about us, licences, locations and milestones (checked 19 October 2026)
Event and occasion helicopters
Jeddah Corniche Circuit, 19 to 21 March 2027.
A night double-header on the Corniche, 18 and 19 December 2026.
King Abdulaziz Racecourse, Riyadh, 5 and 6 February 2027.
A 10-week programme from 21 October 2026.
Usually held in mid-January in AlUla.
AlUla's winter festival, December into January.
One aircraft for the whole party, priced per aircraft.
Squads, staff and kit between Saudi Pro League cities.
What goes into a helicopter price
You charter the whole helicopter and its crew, so the price is per flight, not per seat.
- Flying time at the hourly rate for the type: as a guide, SAR 5,950 to SAR 17,370 per flight hour for the whole helicopter.
- Positioning when the helicopter flies from its base to your pickup point and back. The Helicopter Company reported 20 bases in 2024.
- Landing fees at Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam: SAR 13 per tonne of maximum take-off weight up to 5 tonnes and SAR 14 per tonne from 5 to 45 tonnes, under GACA's charges of December 2024.
- At most other Saudi airports, GACA's schedule sets a landing charge of SAR 500 for aircraft up to 7 tonnes and SAR 1,000 from 7 to 136 tonnes.
- VAT: the standard rate has been 15% since 1 July 2020. Transport into or out of the Kingdom is zero-rated, and since the December 2022 amendments aircraft no longer need 10 or more seats to qualify.
- Waiting time if the helicopter holds for you during the day.
Sources:GACA: Aeronautical Charges in KSA Airports, December 2024ZATCA: guideline on the increase of the standard VAT rate to 15% from 1 July 2020 (Arabic)ZATCA: Implementing Regulations of the VAT Law, eighth edition, 9 November 2021 (unofficial English translation), Article 34 on transportation servicesPwC Middle East tax alert, December 2022: Saudi Arabia approved amendments to Chapter Six (zero-rated supplies) of the VAT Implementing Regulations, published in the Official Gazette on 2 December 2022The Helicopter Company: about us, licences, locations and milestones (checked 19 October 2026)
Check the operator holds a GACA certificate
- GACA certifies commercial operators. Its Part 135 certificate covers scheduled and unscheduled commercial flights in aircraft other than transport or commuter category airplanes, and wet-leasing is not permitted under it.
- The Helicopter Company lists its GACA approvals: Part 121 and Part 145 (2019), Part 133 for aerial work (2020), Part 135 for commercial unscheduled flights (2021) and Part 60 for training (2025).
- The Public Investment Fund describes The Helicopter Company as the first and only licensed helicopter operator for commercial flights in the Kingdom.
- Ask for the operator's GACA certificate. GACA announces the operator certificates it grants on its news page.
- GACA enforces its rules: in 2025 its violations committee recorded 609 violations and more than SAR 13.8 million in fines, including 16 against licensed companies for not meeting its requirements.
- As a broker, Altivo Jets names the operator and its licence before you book.
Sources:GACA e-service: Air operator certification, GACAR Part 135 commercial operationsThe Helicopter Company: about us, licences, locations and milestones (checked 19 October 2026)Public Investment Fund: The Helicopter Company (checked 19 October 2026)GACA: news, operator certificates as announced by GACA and reported by the operators, as read on 18 October 2026GACA news, 8 January 2026: 2025 report of the Committee for Reviewing Violations of the Civil Aviation Law, 609 violations and over SAR 13.8 million in finesUniversal Weather: business jet destination guide, Saudi Arabia (updated April 2022)
Helicopters on Saudi charter fleets
The types on Saudi charter fleets, led by the Leonardo AW139. Each page shows how many fly and which operators have them.
Helicopter operators in Saudi Arabia
GACA-certified operators with the largest helicopter fleets on our list. 1 operator flies helicopters in Saudi Arabia.
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 Saudi Arabia?+
As a guide, SAR 5,950 to SAR 17,370 per flight hour for the whole helicopter. Positioning, landing charges, waiting time and VAT are added to the quote.
Can I rent a helicopter for a day?+
Yes, as a private charter. You pay for the hours flown, plus waiting time while the helicopter holds for you between flights and positioning from its base.
Can I book a helicopter tour online?+
Yes. Since 1 October 2026 The Helicopter Company's sightseeing tours, such as a flight over Riyadh, are sold through the webook.com website and app. The operator still flies the tours.
Is there a helicopter transfer from Riyadh or Jeddah airport?+
The Helicopter Company announced airport to city helicopter transfers in Riyadh and Jeddah in November 2025, sold through Almosafer. A private charter from King Khalid or King Abdulaziz International can also be quoted.
Who is allowed to fly helicopter charters in Saudi Arabia?+
An operator certified by GACA. The Helicopter Company has held a Part 135 licence for commercial unscheduled flights since 2021, and the Public Investment Fund calls it the first and only licensed helicopter operator for commercial flights in the Kingdom.
Is there VAT on a helicopter flight?+
The standard rate is 15%. Transport into or out of the Kingdom is zero-rated, and since December 2022 an aircraft no longer needs at least 10 seats to qualify. A flight that stays within the Kingdom does not qualify for the zero rate.
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.GACA e-service: Air operator certification, GACAR Part 135 commercial operations
- 2.GACA (Saudi Arabia): operator certificates and fleets, compiled by Altivo from GACA announcements and operator statements (read 19 October 2026)
- 3.The Helicopter Company, 17 June 2026: delivery of the 40th Leonardo AW139
- 4.The Helicopter Company: about us, licences, locations and milestones (checked 19 October 2026)
- 5.Public Investment Fund: The Helicopter Company (checked 19 October 2026)
- 6.The Helicopter Company, 1 October 2026: sightseeing tours bookable online with webook.com
- 7.The Helicopter Company, 18 November 2025: Almosafer partnership for helicopter transfers and tours
- 8.The Helicopter Company, 5 November 2025: helicopter air mobility flights activated at KAFD, Riyadh
- 9.Universal Weather: business jet destination guide, Saudi Arabia (updated April 2022)
- 10.The Helicopter Company, 4 February 2026: MoU with KAFD DMC to enable helicopter services in Riyadh
- 11.The Helicopter Company, 2 June 2024: MoU with Riyadh Municipality for three new landing sites
- 12.GACA: Aeronautical Charges in KSA Airports, December 2024
- 13.ZATCA: guideline on the increase of the standard VAT rate to 15% from 1 July 2020 (Arabic)
- 14.ZATCA: Implementing Regulations of the VAT Law, eighth edition, 9 November 2021 (unofficial English translation), Article 34 on transportation services
- 15.PwC Middle East tax alert, December 2022: Saudi Arabia approved amendments to Chapter Six (zero-rated supplies) of the VAT Implementing Regulations, published in the Official Gazette on 2 December 2022
- 16.GACA news, 8 January 2026: 2025 report of the Committee for Reviewing Violations of the Civil Aviation Law, 609 violations and over SAR 13.8 million in fines
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.