Helisul Linhas Aéreas S/A was a Brazilian airline founded in 1994. In 1996, it was sold to TAM Transportes Aéreos Regionais, which incorporated the airline in 1998.

History

On October 5, 1972, Tropical Táxi Aéreo was founded in Foz do Iguaçu. It was a subsidiary of Tropical Hotéis, a company part of the same holding that owned

Varig VARIG (''Viação Aérea Rio-Grandense'', 'Rio Grandean Airways') was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990, it was Brazil's leading airline and virtually its only international one. In 2005, Varig went into judici ...

. This was later bought by Eloy Biesuz and the name changed to Helisul Táxi Aéreo Ltda. As part of its growing activities, Helisul Taxi Aéreo founded on May 16, 1994 Helisul Linhas Aéreas, as a charter airline operating regular flights and with operations concentrated at Curitiba-Bacacheri Airport linking

Curitiba Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná (state), Paraná in Southern Brazil. The city's population was 1,773,718 , making it the List of cities in Brazil by population, eighth most populous city in Brazil and the larg ...

to other cities in

Paraná state Paraná, Paranã or Parana may refer to: Geology *Paraná Basin, a sedimentary basin in South America Places In Argentina *Paraná, Entre Ríos, a city * Paraná Department, a part of Entre Ríos Province In Brazil *Paraná (state), a state ...

. On January 1, 1995 its license was updated to one of a regional carrier. On July 1, 1996 Helisul was sold to TAM Airlines and it began operating feeder services to TAM. Later, in December of the same year, as Brasil Central Linhas Aéreas was rebranded as TAM-Meridional, Helisul was also rebranded as TAM Express and received the entire

Caravan Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel *Campervan, a type of vehicle also known as a motor caravan *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop *Caravan (trail ...

fleet of Brasil Central to operate its former network. In 1998 it was completely incorporated by TAM. Helisul Táxi Aéreo still operates helicopter flights in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

and

Foz do Iguaçu Foz do Iguaçu (; "Iguazu River mouth"), colloquially referred to as Foz, is the Brazilian city on the border of Iguaçu Falls. Foz in Portuguese language, Portuguese means the mouth or end of a river and Iguaçu in Guarani language, Guarani or Tup ...

and has certified maintenance plants at Curitiba-Bacacheri Airport.

Destinations

Helisul served the following cities: *

Blumenau Blumenau () is a city in Vale do Itajaí, Santa Catarina (Brazil), Santa Catarina state, in the South Region, Brazil, South Region of Brazil, from the state capital Florianópolis. The city was founded by the German chemist and pharmacist H ...

– Quero-quero Airport *

Campo Mourão Campo Mourão is a municipality in the state of Paraná (state), Paraná in Brazil. Its population in 2020 was 95,488. The people from Campo Mourão are called ''Mourãoenses''. History The region of the "Fields" bordered by the Atlantic forest ...

– Cel. Geraldo Guias de Aquino Airport *

Cascavel Cascavel is a city in the state of Paraná (state), Paraná in Brazil. It is the fifth most populous city in the state with 364.104 inhabitants, according to IBGE 2024 estimate. The distance to Curitiba, the state capital, is 491 kilometers b ...

– Adalberto Mendes da Silva Airport *

Chapecó Chapecó () is a municipality in the state of Santa Catarina (state), Santa Catarina, in the Southern Region of Brazil. Being a major industrial, financial and educational center, it is a major producer of industrialized food products. Considered ...

– Serafin Enoss Bertaso Airport *

Concórdia Concórdia is a city in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. It was founded by colonizers of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, basically descendants of Italians and Germans, who immigrated to Brazil in the 19th century. It is located 480 km west o ...

– Olavo Cecco Rigon Airport *

– Bacacheri Airport *

Francisco Beltrão Francisco Beltrão, established on December 14, 1952, is a municipality in the state of Paraná in Brazil. In 2010, the population was 80,727, of which 85% lived in the city proper and 15% on the surrounding land. Francisco Beltrão is very close ...

– Paulo Abdala Airport *

Guarapuava Guarapuava is a municipality in the state of Paraná in Brazil. It is the largest municipality in that state by area. Considered a regional development hub with a strong influence on neighboring municipalities, it is also part of a railroad junct ...

– Tancredo Thomas de Faria Airport * Joaçaba – Santa Terezinha Airport *

Pato Branco Pato Branco ("White Duck" in English) is a municipality in the state of Paraná in Brazil. The municipality covers 537,8 km2 (206.7 mi2) and has a population of 83,843 (2020 IBGE estimate). Pato Branco started off as a village in 1942 ...

– Juvenal Loureiro Cardoso Airport *

São Miguel do Oeste São Miguel do Oeste is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Santa Catarina (state), Santa Catarina, in the southern region of Brazil, 655 km from the state capital, Florianópolis. Its population in 2022, according to the Brazilian Institute o ...

– Hélio Wasum Airport *

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

– Congonhas Airport

Fleet

Airline affinity program

Helisul did not have an airline affinity program.

Accidents and incidents

*13 September 1996: an

Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante The Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante (English: ''pioneer'') is a Brazilian twin-turboprop light transport aircraft designed by Embraer for military and civil use. The EMB 110 was designed by the French engineer Max Holste; it had been designed in ...

registration PT-WAV operating a cargo flight from

Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, ; , ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian Federative units of Brazil, state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of roughly 1.4 million inhabitants (2022) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, 11th-most p ...

Joinville Joinville () is the largest city in Santa Catarina (state), Santa Catarina, in the Southern Brazil, Southern Region of Brazil. It is the third largest municipality in the southern region of Brazil, after the much larger state capitals of Curitib ...

collided with a hill and crashed during final approach to land at Joinville. The crew of two died.

References

External links

Helisul accidents as per Aviation Safety Database
Defunct airlines of Brazil Airlines established in 1994 Airlines disestablished in 1998 1994 establishments in Brazil {{Brazil-airline-stub