The Ferrari of Helicopters

Photos: Courtesy Hélity, Carlos Freire & Photo Huxo

For the cosmopolitan traveler, Ceuta offers a rare privilege: the chance to combine the essence of Andalusia with the magnetism of Africa in a single journey. From Málaga—an international hub with connections to 153 global destinations—everything is less than half an hour away: Marbella with its VIP allure, marinas, and nightlife, or the legendary Ascari racetrack, where Nordic drivers arrive by helicopter to pilot their own supercars.

“Some come from Australia, Israel, Denmark, or Sweden to drive on Spain’s longest track, but they don’t want the road trip from Marbella. They prefer a helicopter: they arrive, race, and lose no time,” explains Antonio Barranco, President of Hélity.

Beyond scheduled service, Ceuta’s heliport has become a reference point for private charters, film productions, aerial photography, and exclusive journeys. It is, in fact, the world’s second-largest operator in flight hours. Its strategy is clear: not to grow indiscriminately, but to lead its niche—connecting southern Spain with northern Africa. Select routes to Gibraltar and Tangier are the only future additions under consideration.

The fleet, built in Italy and the United States, is assembled in Vergiate, just north of Milan. “They’re manufactured near Monza, practically next door to Ferrari’s factory,” notes Barranco. “They are true Ferraris of the sky: precision-crafted, high-performance, and technologically unmatched.”

A flight departing Ceuta at 8:00 a.m. has you in Madrid’s Paseo de la Castellana by 10:15. “For many, the flight itself is the attraction,” Barranco tells Sports & Lifestyle. “Board a helicopter, gaze over the Strait and Costa del Sol from above, taste bluefin tuna fresh from these waters, spend the afternoon at the Mediterranean Park, visit the Caliphal Gate… those little wonders define Ceuta. Because Ceuta is Europe in Africa—the only European territory, along with Melilla, located on another continent. So close, and yet so far… and that’s precisely what fascinates people.”

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