US Helicopter () was an independent air shuttle service that operated regularly scheduled helicopter flights from

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

to Newark and JFK airports. Flights left from Downtown (JRB, near Wall Street) and Midtown (TSS, East 34th Street) Manhattan Heliports to

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline, along w ...

Terminal 3 at

John F. Kennedy International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport (colloquially referred to as JFK Airport, Kennedy Airport, New York-JFK, or simply JFK) is the main international airport serving New York City. The airport is the busiest of the seven airports in the Avia ...

(JFK). There were also flights to and from Bridgeport, Connecticut (BDR). It was headquartered at the

Downtown Manhattan Heliport The Downtown Manhattan Heliport (Downtown Manhattan/Wall St. Heliport) is a helicopter landing platform at Pier 6 in the East River in Lower Manhattan, New York City, New York. History Downtown Manhattan Heliport opened on December 8, 1960 ...

, Pier 6 E River in Lower Manhattan,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

Services

When operating, flights to the airport lasted eight minutes and cost $159. Flights operated on weekdays from 7:15 am to 7:45 pm, with service on the hour to JFK, then back to the Manhattan heliports at half past the hour. The company also offered chartered service to popular locations including

the Hamptons The Hamptons, part of the East End of Long Island, consist of the towns of Southampton and East Hampton, which together comprise the South Fork of Long Island, in Suffolk County, New York. The Hamptons are a popular seaside resort and one o ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, Mohegan Sun,

Foxwoods Foxwoods Resort Casino is a hotel and casino complex owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation on their reservation located in Ledyard, Connecticut. Including six casinos, the resort covers an area of . The casinos have more th ...

and Atlantic City. Working with the air traffic control and FAA, the helicopters operated on specially dedicated flight paths between the heliports and airports. The fleet consisted of three 8-seat Sikorsky S-76 dual-engine helicopters with first-class executive leather interiors, each operated by two pilots. US Helicopter was the only scheduled helicopter airline service in the United States certified by both the

United States Department of Transportation The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States a ...

and the

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...

. The company offered seasonal service to

East Hampton, New York The Town of East Hampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York. At the time of the 2020 United States census, it had a tot ...

and

Belmar, New Jersey Belmar is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated on the Jersey Shore. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 5,794,TSA screening capability. They had roomy leather chairs, large TVs, and

Bloomberg Terminal The Bloomberg Terminal is a computer software system provided by the financial data vendor Bloomberg L.P. that enables professionals in the financial service sector and other industries to access Bloomberg Professional Services through which u ...

s. Passengers traveling via

and Continental Airlines were checked in at the heliport and could obtain boarding passes and baggage receipts to their final destination. These passengers remained in secure areas, eliminating the need to go through airport security again at the airport. Passengers traveling with other airlines could connect to the appropriate terminal to complete the check-in process and proceed through security to their flight gate.

History

The company started its service in March 2006. Service to the East 34th Street Heliport was added in September 2006 and to Newark Liberty International Airport in November 2006. Flights from Newark used to operate from a secured area at Gate 71 in Continental Airlines' Terminal C. The company had severe financial difficulties in 2009 and had to borrow operating funds at high interest rates. On 25 September 2009, US Helicopter suddenly shut down. The next month, the company filed an

8-K Form 8-K is a very broad form used to notify investors in United States public companies of specified events that may be important to shareholders or the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. This is one of the most common types of for ...

form stating that it no longer had resources to continue to file Securities and Exchange Commission reports or prepare financial statements. The airline never operated again.

Airports served

(

Downtown Manhattan Lower Manhattan (also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York) is the southernmost part of Manhattan, the central borough for business, culture, and government in New York City, which is the most populated city in the United States with ...

) *

East 34th Street Heliport East 34th Street Heliport is a heliport on the east side of Manhattan located on the East River Greenway, between the East River and the FDR Drive viaduct. Also known as the Atlantic Metroport at East 34th Street, it is a public heliport owned ...

( Midtown Manhattan) *

, Terminal 3, Gate 11 (

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

) * Newark Liberty International Airport, Continental Airlines Terminal C, Gate 71 (Newark, New Jersey) *

Sikorsky Memorial Airport Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport is a public airport in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, owned by the city of Bridgeport. It is three miles (6 km) southeast of downtown, in the town of Stratford. It was formerly Bridgeport ...

( Bridgeport, Connecticut) *

East Hampton Airport Town of East Hampton Airport (prior to May 19, 2022 its name was East Hampton Airport and its codes were KHTO/HTO) is anairport located in Wainscott, New York, just west of the Village of East Hampton. The airport is owned and operated by the ...

(

) (seasonal) * Monmouth Executive Airport (

Belmar, New Jersey Belmar is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated on the Jersey Shore. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 5,794,Sikorsky S-76B * 0 Sikorsky S-76C (order canceled due to bankruptcy)

References

;Notes

Bibliography

*Pittman, Christopher. "US Helicopter delivers in New York City." Airways Magazine. March 2008: 21.

External links

Official site
Airlines established in 2004 Airlines disestablished in 2009 Defunct airlines of the United States Defunct companies based in New York City Defunct helicopter airlines Transportation companies based in New York City {{helicopter airlines