PAPILLON GRAND CANYON HELICOPTERS TO REOPEN THIS THURSDAY, JUNE 11

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Papillon helicopter flies over the Las Vegas Strip.
(File Photo Credit: Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters) 

PAPILLON GRAND CANYON HELICOPTERS
TO REOPEN THIS THURSDAY, JUNE 11 

The World’s Leading Helicopter Company Unveils New “Family Flight” Tours
and New Health and Safety Protocols.

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LAS VEGAS (June 9, 2020) – Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters returns to the sky, accepting reservations for flights over the Las Vegas Strip and to the Grand Canyon – all with enhanced health and safety protocols, including temperature checks, social distancing, face coverings and more. The world’s leading helicopter company is now accepting reservations and will resume flights starting this Thursday, June 11.

“We are thrilled to welcome visitors back to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. In addition to our existing tour experiences, we are launching new ‘Family & Friends’ flights, ideal for guests who would like to fly exclusively with their immediate travel companions,” states Irit Langness, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Papillon. “As with all Papillon tours, ‘Family Flights‘ feature spectacular aerial views of the Las Vegas Strip and the Grand Canyon, while offering a more intimate experience.”For those guests who elect to drive to Grand Canyon West, Papillon is offering a free Skywalk ticket with the purchase of any helicopter tour. This combination provides a unique opportunity to see the Grand Canyon from different angles, from landing on the Canyon floor to experiencing the world-famous Grand Canyon Skywalk, a 10-foot wide, horseshoe-shaped glass bridge extending 70 feet over the Rim. New “Family Flights” include:

Las Vegas Strip Highlights Family Flight
Guests will begin their experience with a Champagne toast before boarding an EC130 “ECO-Star” helicopter. The adventure continues with a 10 to 12-minute helicopter flight soaring high above the twinkling lights of the city with stunning views of famous landmarks along Las Vegas Boulevard such as the fountains at Bellagio Resort & Casino and attractions which include High Roller at The LINQ Promenade, T-Mobile Arena and Allegiant Stadium. Tours will be available with transportation options for hotel pick-up and drop off.

Golden Eagle with Strip Family Flight
This helicopter tour is perfect for guests in Las Vegas who are pressed for time and desire to see as much of the Grand Canyon as possible. Guests will be picked up from their hotel by limousine and taken to Papillon’s private heliport for departure. The tour includes aerial views of the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, as well as the spectacular West Rim of the Grand Canyon. Guests will be amazed by the majesty, brilliant palette of colors and rugged beauty as they pass through millions of years of geological time. Upon returning from the Canyon, the tour concludes with flight over the beautiful Las Vegas Strip.

Grand Celebration with Strip Family Flight
For this flight to Grand Canyon West, guests will step aboard an EC130 helicopter, designed specifically to enhance sightseeing with fitted floor-to-ceiling windows, headset narration and air-conditioning for ultimate comfort. They will enjoy unparalleled bird’s-eye views of Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, extinct volcanoes and the Colorado River en route to the Grand Canyon.

As the aircraft enters the West Rim, it will begin a breathtaking 4,000-foot descent to the Grand Canyon floor. After landing on Papillon’s private plateau, guests have ample time to explore the surrounding scenery and enjoy a Champagne toast with refreshments. The gorgeous views do not end at the canyon — the return flight to the Las Vegas terminal includes a trip over the glittering lights of the Strip resorts.

These tours require a minimum of four passengers and feature the state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly ECO-Star EC130 aircraft. These helicopters are designed from the ground up with air tourism in mind and feature quiet-technology, a nearly 180-degree field of view and forward-facing, stadium raised seating. 

NEW HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS
 To ensure the safest experience possible for its guests, employees and pilots, Papillon is implementing enhanced cleaning procedures and sanitization for aircraft, transportation shuttles and terminals. Health safety efforts exceed the latest guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and local government agencies and include the following procedures:

• All guests will be screened for mandatory temperature checks upon arriving at the terminal and prior to entering shuttles at pickup locations. They also must wear masks; they may either provide their own mask or complimentary masks will be available on-site for those who do not have one.
• All employees and flight crews will wear masks; each employee has undergone extensive training on COVID-19 safety and sanitization protocols.
• Every morning and evening and before and after each flight or shuttle pickup or drop-off, ground transportation and aircraft will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized using EPA-approved, hospital-grade disinfectant. Extra care will be taken to thoroughly disinfect high-touch surfaces including seating, headsets and seatbelts. 
• Ample ground time between flights will be scheduled to ensure adequate time to thoroughly sanitize and clean cabins. All aircraft are equipped with pre-packaged cleaning supplies to maintain the required standards during the flight. Kits will include gloves, disinfectant and cleaning wipes.
• Multiple hand sanitizing stations may be accessible inside the terminals.
• The staff will enforce social distancing practices in common areas and mark queue lines with six feet of distance as recommended by the CDC. 
• Employees will practice contactless introductions during all interactions with guests. Pilots will provide tour narration through headsets, however, the use of passenger microphones during the tour will be restricted at this time. Employees and pilots will regularly wash their hands as directed by the CDC throughout the day.
• High contact surfaces within our terminals and aircraft, including lobby areas, check-in counters, restrooms, seating, headsets, and seat belts will be cleaned and sanitized continuously throughout the day by trained staff.
  
• For tours that include food or beverage service, these will be limited to packaged items and distributed by employees with gloves and appropriate protective equipment         

ABOUT PAPILLON GRAND CANYON HELICOPTERS
Founded in 1965, Papillon (French for “butterfly”) Grand Canyon Helicopters is the world’s largest and longest-running helicopter tour company with more than 500,000 passengers served annually on more than 50 state-of-the-art, quiet helicopters. Papillon is the only helicopter tour company that flies the entire length of the Grand Canyon with bases in Las Vegas; Boulder City, Nevada; Grand Canyon West; Grand Canyon National Park and Page, Arizona. For more information, go to www.Papillon.com or call (702) 736-7243 and follow Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. (#IFlyPapillon). For downloadable high-res photos and videos, click here. 

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Desiree Webb/Erika Pope
The Vox Agency
desiree@thevoxagency.com, erika@thevoxagency.com
(702) 569-0616, (702) 249-2977

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