Owned and operated by the government of Dubai, helidubai is further developing what it describes as the first dedicated heliport in the UAE. City Heliport is situated at the heart of the new Dubai financial district and is already open for daylight operations and restricted night operations.

Located near what is called the Gate, the helidubai City Heliport is expected to be fully operational 24 hours a day by early 2008. "We will also be opening new heliports on the Bur Dubai and Deira sides of the Creek. All of this will mean that access will be available to anyone, anytime from anywhere, straight into the centre of Dubai," Capt. Andrew Masterson, marketing and security manager helidubai, says.

It plans to have an upgraded and expanded fleet in 2008 with the priority acquisition of an eight to ten seat long range business jet for corporate charter and of a heavy four engine turboprop cargo aircraft. The putting into service of helidubai's first AS350 B3 will herald the phasing out of its JetRangers as it tailors a modern and economical airborne camera system service provision to the local and regional film industry.

Aerial photography and filming services are increasingly in demand. "The B3 was selected as the most suitable camera platform for the hot and high conditions in which we generally operate in the UAE. As helidubai's policy is twin engine public transport, only we will not be operating the B3s for anything other than non-public transport such as filming and photography," Masterson stresses. "helidubai is the only UAE helicopter provider which exclusively operates twin engine aircraft on public transport flights to ensure enhanced client safety while operating over the congested city area and open desert and sea areas."

For public transport the company currently operates one AB412EP and two 109E Powers. The 412EP is configured for eight passengers in the main cabin with 2x2 additional seats in the wells. Two more 412s are being reconfigured for a new role yet to be disclosed. The choice of 109E Power and 412EP helicopters for public transport operations was carefully calculated. "The 109E Power choice was based on single engine class A performance, its overall size for operation on the Burj Al Arab, its low noise signature and the fast start and shut down times," Masterson says. "The 109E Power is fast, giving an average cruise speed of 140 knots and it can carry four to six passengers in vip air-conditioned luxury. Its full Cat A performance capabilities make it a good choice for demanding environments. It is an ideal aircraft for city operations, hotel or environmentally sensitive areas due to its low noise signature and the ability to shut down the engines in 30 seconds. A typical start up to airborne time is around two minutes, so we ensure that noise impact is minimal."

Pilots were trained at Agusta facilities both in Milan and Philadelphia, and the helicopters have benefited from upgrades. "These helicopters have a state-of-the-art glass cockpit with a modern full EFIS and can be operated as either a single pilot or two crew aircraft for day or night time operations," Masterson says.

An important part of the demand for helidubai's services is based on airport to hotel, hotel to hotel or hotel to desert location trips. Both the Jumeirah International and the Burj Al Arab have appointed helidubai as their preferred helicopter service provider.

The Burj Al Arab (Tower of the Arabs) is one of the most popular destinations serviced by helidubai. Said to be the tallest building used exclusively as a hotel, it stands on an artificial island 280 meters out from Dubai's Jumeirah Beach but is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge.

Luc Delafosse, gm, Burj Al Arab, says: "We are very happy to offer this luxury helicopter service to our guests. It is in keeping with our position as one of the world's most luxurious hotels."

But helidubai, officially launched in May 2005, has a client base with a much broader range than luxury hotels in Dubai. Clients include the JW Marriott, BBC, Citibank Corporation, HSBC, Emirates Airlines, Emirates Holidays, Al Maha Desert Resort, Bab Al Shams, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, KLM, Dubai Duty Free, Nakheel, CNN, One and Only Royal Mirage, Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, government of Dubai, government of New South Wales, government of South Korea, Samsung, Emaar, Nakheel, Stern, Channel 9 Australia, Sun City Group, Audi, Bentley and Range Rover.

"We serve many other individual vip and prestigious organisations," Masterson says. "Group tours or transfers are possible almost anywhere in the UAE."