Imagine seeing the luscious greenery of Gozo, the icy Blue Lagoon in Comino, the grand fortifications of Valletta and the Three Cities while sitting cosily with a loved one on the luxury leather seats of a helicopter.

Those are just some of the highlights offered by the new helicopter sightseeing service based at the Malta International Airport, which started operating at the beginning of this month.

The concept worked brilliantly on Valentine's Day when tens of couples booked their romantic tours around the Maltese islands and were given a rose and a bottle of champagne to set the mood.

This will be followed up by another concept tour for carnival this weekend, where passengers will have the chance to witness the Valletta and Nadur celebrations from the sky, at €49 each.

For a tour of 15 minutes, this may seem a little pricey. Even pricier is the 30-minute tour around Malta and Gozo which costs €165 per person.

But if the word spreads, the tours may prove to be extremely popular with tourists and locals who can afford them, since the thrilling landscapes and peaceful skies create an unforgettable experience.

The helicopter seats six passengers but it can also be chartered for a more private experience. The tours are leisurely paced and just right to take in the full beauty of the islands without getting bored.

Malta is an ideal location for such a tour, since within a small stretch of land you can take in the magnificent architecture, the natural beauty of beaches and coasts, and a number of green plateaus, valleys and fields. On a day with good visibility it is also possible to see Sicily on the horizon.

The operation, Malta Heli Tours, is an investment by Eagle Associates (London) Ltd, which is represented in 53 countries.

Managing director and CEO Philip Bayne hopes to move on to providing a helicopter service to Gozo and he is also willing to bring over aircraft that can travel longer distances to provide services to Libya and Sicily.

In fact, the sky really is the limit, and the company is willing to be as creative and flexible as possible with its services.

Mr Bayne said the helicopter would be ideal to take a bride to her wedding and suggests various possible packages such as one that would include wining and dining in Gozo.

But one of the current limitations is not being allowed to land in Gozo since the helipad is not operational.

"We want to promote Malta and Gozo as much as possible, especially with tourists but even with the local community. Some people have no idea how beautiful the islands look from the sky," he said.

cperegin@timesofmalta.com