Promote your company to the global vertical aviation industry through the VAI Member Spotlight, a free benefit for VAI member companies. Want to be featured? Contact Info@verticalavi.org to let us know. If you’re not already enjoying the many benefits our members receive, join VAI today! VAI Member Spotlight: Elifly International, Italy Air tour operator in the Alps also provides support for longline utility, forestry, construction, and other projects. Located in the breathtaking Italian Alps, Elifly International has provided tours, aerial firefighting, material transport, and rescue services in the region since 1983. The company operates a 24/7 heliport in Esine in the Brescia province with tours being a core part of the operations. The crown jewel of its tour offerings is the Adamello Special Tour, which departs from Elifly’s private heliport in Esine, at the entrance of picturesque Valle Camonica (Camonica Valley), one of the largest valleys of the central Alps and a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. The 40-minute flight takes passengers up to 3,500 m (11,483 ft.), providing spectacular views of the Adamello Glacier, the vast Pian di Neve, the historic World War I cannon of Cresta Croce, and the summit of Mount Adamello. Passengers can choose between shared flights (330 euro per person) or private bookings (up to five passengers). “This top-tier experience is available on selected weekends every month and is designed to leave a lasting memory,” says Nicholas Marchese, Elifly sales and operations manager. The operator also offers shorter tours of the valley and surrounding mountains and will tailor tours to specific needs, from charters across the region to what it coins “heli-gastronomy,” which are tours of key wine and food locations in the region. Beyond Tours The remote and rugged Italian Alps often call for a variety of helicopter operations to support daily life. Elifly provides longline utility operations to companies and individuals across the region, carrying loads up to 1,000 kg (2,205 lb.), including machinery, containers, air conditioners, gravel, concrete, and more. Unique to the region are Italian alpine huts and exclusive resorts. Almost all of them receive supplies via helicopter, and Elifly is a primary support operator in this regard. The company regularly flies food, drinks, supplies, and other goods throughout the Alps while returning with collected waste. Elifly also supports the construction and overhaul of ski lifts, as well as power-line construction and repair projects. It also plays an important part in forestry operations, clearing away felled trees and assisting with aerial firefighting. The company is licensed as an air operator by the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) for passenger transport and is authorized for aerial work operations. The operator is also an authorized Part 145 maintenance center. Elifly’s operations are ISO certified (ISO 9001/ISO 14001/ISO 45001/ISO 37001).
