World Aviation Group offers the finest helicopters for attending the most exclusive leisure activities. After obtaining their license, they transport their clients from Cuatro Vientos in the best models.
The luxury tourism boom that Spain is experiencing is expanding the options available to cater to VIPs. Within this context, World Aviation Group (WAG) aims to grow. After obtaining its own license to operate helicopter flights, the company seeks to enhance the experience of traveling by helicopter—an alternative accessible to few, which the company considers better than private jets despite being more complex to operate.
To achieve this, WAG boasts two flagship helicopters: two of the best models from Bell and Airbus. These highly sophisticated aircraft include the Bell 429, their star helicopter, priced at thirteen million euros, which they consider the best option on the market.
According to company officials, setting a price for using these helicopters is complex because each client has very particular demands and everything depends (though they don’t go into details for privacy reasons, they hint that some clients have even proposed marriage mid-flight). However, a commercial executive states that hiring the Bell 429 can cost around 4,000 euros per hour. This sector is well-exploited in countries like the USA, but not as much in Spain, where they expect continued growth.
The company emphasizes that its clients are people with high purchasing power, both national and international. Upon arriving at Barajas Airport, many request to be taken to Cuatro Vientos Airport to enjoy this flight experience. Many use the helicopters for quick access to other experiences such as hunting trips, visiting the best wineries in Spain, or even traveling to the coast. For instance, their helicopters can reach Marbella, a popular summer destination for VIPs who enjoy the Starlite, one of the trendiest concerts among celebrities.
The advantage of helicopters is that they can land in areas that are more difficult to access for a private jet. This allows for much faster travel than by road. It’s no surprise that major wineries in the Ribera del Duero region have helipads, while airstrips are harder to find.
The recent visit to Vega Sicilia to celebrate the birthday of David Beckham, along with his wife Victoria Beckham and chef Gordon Ramsay, is an attraction that companies operating these helicopters can also capitalize on.
To promote their product, WAG is showcasing what it’s like to fly in a helicopter to dispel certain myths. Firstly, the flight experience is much more comfortable than many people think, as they believe these aircraft are unstable. However, for safety reasons, they can only fly under certain weather conditions.
Safety is another major selling point. Fatal accidents, such as the one that claimed Kobe Bryant in the USA, have severely impacted the public’s perception of the risk associated with helicopters. WAG is convinced that this is a myth and assures that helicopters are a much safer mode of transport than, for example, private cars.
To boost their business, WAG not only offers the trips requested by their clients but also provides experiences such as flying over Madrid in a helicopter, always piloted by their own trained pilots.
In fact, the training of helicopter pilots is another mainstay of their business. Currently, there are only 1,000 helicopter pilots in all of Spain, and they believe that the trend is for more to be needed in the future. This need is not only for luxury tourism experiences but also for government roles (such as fighting forest fires, etc.). A commercial helicopter pilot course can cost around 100,000 euros. If, instead, one is seeking a license for private use, the cost would be around 40,000 euros. For this training, WAG has different helicopters of various sizes and instructors who conduct courses daily from their base at Cuatro Vientos Airport.
