About Us

Who we are

The leading helicopter company in New Zealand

Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters is locally owned and is the trading name of Helicopters Queenstown 2020 Ltd.  The business has been operating since 1980 and is a pioneer of glacier landings.  

We pride ourselves on a truly professional service and the presentation of our modern aircrafts so that passengers enjoy the most comfortable experience possible.

Helicopter Fleet 

We operate a fleet of modern 6-seater & 9-seater large turbine engine Airbus helicopters serviced and maintained to ensure maximum passenger safety and comfort.

Focus on Safety 

All our maintenance procedures comply with New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority safety standards. Safety is always our main priority.

Pilots

Our pilots are experienced with extensive knowledge of the local mountain environment. Find out more about our highly experienced pilots here

We are Department of Conservation approved and hold concessions to land in Fiordland National Park and Mt Aspiring National Park. This means that part of your fare contributes to conservation in New Zealand – all the concession fees we pay to the Department of Conservation go back into supporting the great work they do around this beautiful part of New Zealand.

Our Pilots

We are extremely proud of our helicopter pilots - meet the team by clicking below.

Meet the team

Why fly with us?

  • We have the newest fleet of Airbus Helicopters in New Zealand. All are kept in pristine condition and are maintained according to the Civil Aviation Authority Standards.
  • We only operate large turbine engine, 6-seater & 9-seater helicopters – most suited to the mountainous environment. We are very proud of our fleet which consists of AS 350 B3e Squirrels, an Airbus H130 T2 & a twin-engine Airbus H145.
  • We have one of the Civil Aviation Authority’s highest audit ratings for operations and safety.
  • We are New Zealand’s aerial film specialists and completed the aerial film work for Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Trilogies, and Mission Impossible - Fallout, to name a few.  We continue to work in the film industry today due to our expertise in this area.
  • We are proud to hold a Qualmark Gold certification as a helicopter operator.
  • Ranked the #1 helicopter company in Queenstown on Trip Advisor! Why would you want to fly with anyone else?