Illustration.
Whitsunday Airport · Hill Inlet · Heart Reef
Airlie Beach Scenic Flight
Fly Australia's 65-minute flight from Whitsunday Airport over the islands, Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet and Heart Reef, with a courtesy bus from Airlie Beach and a window seat for every passenger.
Pick your flight
Which Flight from Airlie Beach?
Three companies sell scenic flights from Airlie Beach on GetYourGuide. All three fly small fixed-wing planes for about an hour over Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet and the reef, every passenger gets a window, and the prices sit between US$219 and US$244 a person (checked November 2026). What separates them is the airfield, the size of the group and the weight limit. The calendar on this page is Fly Australia’s Airlie Beach: Whitsunday Islands & Heart Reef Scenic Flight, from US$240 (checked November 2026): 65 minutes from Whitsunday Airport, about 10 minutes from town on its courtesy bus.
Airlie Beach: Whitsunday Islands & Heart Reef Scenic Flight
Fly Australia's 65 minutes from Whitsunday Airport: Whitehaven, Hill Inlet, Hardy, Hook and Heart reefs, several passes over each, live commentary. Courtesy bus about 10 minutes from town. Not for wheelchair users or anyone over 130 kg.
Check dates →Airlie Beach: Whitsundays & Heart Reef Scenic Flight
Ocean Rafting's hour over Whitehaven, Hill Inlet and Heart Reef, also from Whitsunday Airport, with pickup from 21 stops about 15 minutes away and a lounge with lockers and a cafe. Limit 125 kg; you climb steps into the plane unaided.
See the flight →Airlie Beach: Whitsundays & Great Barrier Reef Scenic Flight
Whitsunday Air Tours flies 70 minutes from Laguna Quays with seven passengers at most. Its listing allows about 30 minutes each way in the van, and Whitsunday Coast Airport, the commercial airport, is one of its ten pickup stops.
See the flight →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Want sand under your feet as well? The flight-and-boat package is further down the page.
- 4.9 / 5 1657+ Reviews
- 65 minutes Islands, Hill Inlet, Hardy Reef and Heart Reef from a high-wing plane
- Window seat For every passenger, with live commentary from the pilot
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Fly Australia Flight Covers
The islands, Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, and Hardy, Hook and Heart reefs out on the Great Barrier Reef, from a high-wing plane with panoramic windows.
Highlights
- Experience the wonder of the Great Barrier Reef, with views of Heart Reef
- Marvel at the Whitsundays, including iconic spots like Whitehaven Beach
- Fly in specially designed planes with panoramic windows for unobstructed views
- Learn about the sights from your pilot as you cover 200 km of natural beauty
- Spot diverse marine creatures from the the aircraft, from manta rays to whales
What's Included
- Courtesy pickup and drop-off bus service from 2 locations in Airlie Beach
- Access to air-conditioned lounge
- Luggage storage
- 60-minute scenic flight
- Live commentary by your pilot
- Window seat for all passengers
- Marine park fees, airport fees, and taxes
- Free car parking at the location
Good to know: Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed · If the weather is unsuitable on the day, the activity provider's staff will make an assessment and contact you directly. In this case, the flight will be rescheduled at a more appropriate time or day. If you're unable to reschedule then a full refund will be offered · Seating is arranged for the best weight and balance of the aircraft · Passengers are responsible for being ready at the designated pickup location and time provided. If passenger misses their scheduled shuttle pickup for any reason and must make their own way to the airport all associated transport costs will be the passenger's responsibility. No reimbursement will be given. · Not suitable for: Wheelchair users, People over 287 lbs (130 kg)
How the Flight Runs
From a pickup stop in Airlie Beach to Whitsunday Airport, an hour in the air, and back.
Pickup in Airlie Beach
A courtesy bus collects you from a named stop in Airlie Beach and takes about 10 minutes to the airfield. If you drive, parking at the airfield is free.
Lounge and Boarding
An air-conditioned lounge with luggage storage. Seats are allocated for the aircraft's weight and balance, and every passenger gets a window.
About an Hour in the Air
Long Island, Hayman Island, Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, and out on the reef Hardy Reef, Hook Reef and Heart Reef, with live commentary and several passes over each place.
Back to Town
The bus returns you to the same stops, about 10 minutes. Marine park fees, airport fees and taxes are already in the price.
Photo Gallery
The Whitsundays from the Air
Whitehaven's white sand, the swirls of Hill Inlet and the reef flats beyond the islands.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Fly Australia from Whitsunday Airport, 65 minutes, with a courtesy bus from Airlie Beach and a window seat for every passenger. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before; if the weather is unsuitable, the flight is moved or refunded.
Plan the Flight
Before You Book
Which airfield, whether the flight will go today, plane or helicopter, who can fly, and what happens before take-off.
Prices are each page's featured tour: GetYourGuide checked November 2026. Tour prices are in US dollars as GetYourGuide and Viator show them; the operators price in Australian dollars.
The Airlie Beach Flights Side by Side
The three scenic flights and the flight-and-boat package: where each takes off, how long it lasts, the group and weight limits, and what the price covers. Prices on GetYourGuide, with the month they were checked.
| Feature | THIS PAGE Fly Australia | Ocean Rafting flight | Whitsunday Air Tours | Flight and boat day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From US$240 per person (checked November 2026) | From US$244 per person (checked November 2026) | From US$219 per person (checked November 2026) | From US$388 per person (checked November 2026) |
| In the Air | 65 minutes | 1 hour | 70 minutes | 60 minutes, then a day on the water |
| Takes Off From | Whitsunday Airport, Flametree | Whitsunday Airport, Flametree | Laguna Quays Airport | Whitsunday Airport, then the boat from Airlie Beach |
| Getting There | Courtesy bus from named Airlie Beach stops, about 10 minutes; free parking | Pickup from 21 stops, about 15 minutes | Van from 10 stops, including Whitsunday Coast Airport (its listing allows about 30 minutes each way); or meet at the airfield | Pickup from 16 or 17 Airlie Beach stops, depending on the option |
| Over the Reef | Hardy, Hook and Heart reefs | Heart Reef and the Great Barrier Reef | The Great Barrier Reef; Heart Reef in its highlights | Heart Reef, from the plane |
| Group and Limits | Not for wheelchair users or over 130 kg; seats set by weight and balance | Up to 125 kg; climb the aircraft steps unaided | Up to 7 passengers; up to 130 kg | Small group, limited to 12; up to 125 kg; not for pregnant women or back problems |
| On the Ground | Air-conditioned lounge, luggage storage | Lounge with lockers, Wi-Fi, cafe | Hotel pickup and drop-off | Walk to Hill Inlet Lookout, snorkelling, lunch on Whitehaven Beach |
| Best For | Heart Reef named in the route, with several passes over each sight | The longest list of pickup stops, 15 minutes from the airfield | A small group, or a pickup at Whitsunday Coast Airport | Seeing Whitehaven from above and then standing on it |
| Check dates | See the flight | See the flight | See the day |
Flight and a Day on the Water
Fly, Then Spend the Day at Whitehaven
The one package that adds a boat day to the flight: a rigid inflatable to Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, snorkelling and lunch on the beach.
Scenic flights from Airlie Beach
How the Airlie Beach Flights Differ
Where each one takes off, what all three share, how Heart Reef fits in, and what no flight from here does.
Where each flight takes off
Every one of these flights is sold as “Airlie Beach”, but none takes off in town. Fly Australia and Ocean Rafting both take off from Whitsunday Airport at Flametree, also called Shute Harbour Airport, 9 km by road from Airlie Beach, and their buses take 10 and 15 minutes. Whitsunday Air Tours flies from Laguna Quays Airport, south of Proserpine, and its listing allows about 30 minutes each way in the van. None of the three uses Whitsunday Coast Airport, the commercial airport 38 km by road from town, and none leaves from Hamilton Island.
Getting to the airfield has the pickup stops, the driving distances and what to do if you land at Proserpine on the day.
What all three share
The aircraft are fixed-wing planes, not helicopters or seaplanes, and every passenger has a window seat. Each flight covers Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet and a stretch of the Great Barrier Reef, with commentary from the pilot. Each includes the transfer from Airlie Beach and can be cancelled free until 24 hours before. And each depends on the weather: Heart Reef is 76 km out over open water, and a flight is moved when the weather on the day is unsuitable.
Where they differ, in short:
- Fly Australia (the calendar on this page): 65 minutes, a high-wing plane with large panoramic windows, several passes over each sight, an air-conditioned lounge with luggage storage and free car parking. Not suitable for wheelchair users or passengers over 130 kg. If the weather is unsuitable on the day, the company contacts you, moves the flight to another time or day, and refunds you in full if you cannot make the new one.
- Ocean Rafting's Whitsundays & Heart Reef Scenic Flight: one hour, pickup from 21 named stops in Airlie Beach, and a lounge with lockers, Wi-Fi, a water station and a cafe. The limit is 125 kg, and every passenger must climb the steps into the aircraft without help.
- Whitsunday Air Tours' Whitsundays & Great Barrier Reef Scenic Flight: 70 minutes, seven passengers at most, the lowest price of the three, from Laguna Quays. The limit is 130 kg.
Heart Reef on each flight
Heart Reef is on the route of Fly Australia’s flight, with Hardy Reef and Hook Reef, and on Ocean Rafting’s, with Whitehaven and Hill Inlet. Whitsunday Air Tours has Heart Reef among its highlights, but its route description covers only the Great Barrier Reef, Hill Inlet, Conway National Park and the islands. If Heart Reef is the reason you are flying, the first two put it in writing.
Heart Reef sits inside Hardy Reef, 76 km from Whitsunday Airport in a straight line. You see it from the air only: none of these flights lands anywhere, and swimming and snorkelling are not permitted at the heart itself (Tourism Whitsundays, checked November 2026).
Add a boat day
A flight shows you Whitehaven Beach; it does not put you on it. The one product that does both is Ocean Rafting’s Fly Raft Package with Scenic Flight & Snorkeling, from US$388 (checked November 2026): the 60-minute flight, then a day on a fast semi-rigid inflatable boat to Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, with a guided walk to Hill Inlet Lookout, snorkelling on a fringing reef and lunch on the beach. Drinks and snacks are extra, and so is a surcharge on Queensland public holidays. It is not for pregnant women, people with back problems or anyone over 125 kg.
The same flights on Viator
Two of the three are also sold on Viator by the same companies: Fly Australia's 1-Hour Whitsunday Islands and Heart Reef Scenic Flight from US$237 and Ocean Rafting's 1-hour scenic flight from US$249 (checked November 2026). The operators themselves price in Australian dollars, so what you pay in another currency depends on the day’s conversion.
Before you book
- Will the flight go today? What happens when the weather turns, and why an early day in your stay helps.
- Plane, helicopter or seaplane Which aircraft you can book from Airlie Beach, and where the others leave from.
- Who can fly Weight limits, steps into the plane, children and wheelchairs.
- Before the flight Check-in times, bags, the lounge and how much time to leave around it.
The Whitsundays and Heart Reef in 65 Minutes
Fly Australia from Whitsunday Airport, with a courtesy bus from Airlie Beach and a window seat for every passenger. Starting from US$240 per person.
Check datesMore from Airlie Beach
Other Whitsundays Trips with Open Dates
Boat days, sailing and reef trips from Airlie Beach with live availability. Where each starts, what it includes and the cancellation terms are shown before you book.
Airlie Beach Scenic Flights: Questions
Prices, airfields, pickup, Heart Reef, weather, weight limits and the flight-and-boat day.
Between US$219 and US$244 a person for about an hour in the air (checked November 2026). Fly Australia's 65-minute flight is from US$240, Ocean Rafting's one-hour flight from US$244 and Whitsunday Air Tours' 70-minute flight from US$219. All three include the transfer from Airlie Beach, and Fly Australia's price also covers the marine park fees, airport fees and taxes.
Fly Australia and Ocean Rafting take off from Whitsunday Airport at Flametree, also called Shute Harbour Airport, 9 km by road from Airlie Beach. Whitsunday Air Tours flies from Laguna Quays Airport, and its listing allows about 30 minutes each way by van. None of them uses Whitsunday Coast Airport, the commercial airport near Proserpine. See getting to the airfield.
Yes, on all three flights, from named stops. Fly Australia runs a courtesy bus from stops in Airlie Beach, about 10 minutes to the airfield. Ocean Rafting picks up from 21 stops, about 15 minutes. Whitsunday Air Tours picks up from 10 stops, including Whitsunday Coast Airport, about 30 minutes. You choose the stop when you book.
Yes on Fly Australia's and Ocean Rafting's flights, which both name it in their route. Whitsunday Air Tours has Heart Reef among its highlights, though its route description covers only the Great Barrier Reef, Hill Inlet and the islands. No flight lands at Heart Reef, and swimming and snorkelling are not permitted at the heart itself (Tourism Whitsundays, checked November 2026).
On Fly Australia's flight, the company assesses the weather on the day, contacts you and moves the flight to another time or day; if you cannot make the new time, you get a full refund. All three flights can also be cancelled free until 24 hours before. The tropical cyclone season runs from 1 November to 30 April (Bureau of Meteorology). See will the flight go today.
Yes: 130 kg on Fly Australia's and Whitsunday Air Tours' flights, 125 kg on Ocean Rafting's. On Fly Australia's flight, seats are allocated for the aircraft's weight and balance, so a group may not sit together. Ocean Rafting also requires every passenger to climb the steps into the aircraft without help. See who can fly.
Not through this site: the bookable flights from Airlie Beach on GetYourGuide are all fixed-wing planes. Helicopter and seaplane flights over the Whitsundays leave from Airlie Beach, Hamilton Island and Whitsunday Coast Airport (Tourism Whitsundays, checked November 2026), and Hamilton Island Air sells its own from Hamilton Island. See plane, helicopter or seaplane.
Yes: Ocean Rafting's Fly Raft Package is the 60-minute flight followed by a boat day to Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, from US$388 a person (checked November 2026). The day includes a guided walk to Hill Inlet Lookout, snorkelling on a fringing reef, lunch on the beach and pickup in Airlie Beach. Drinks and the Queensland public-holiday surcharge are extra.
Yes, up to 24 hours before the flight, for a full refund, on every flight carded on this site. The terms for your date are shown before you pay, and you can reserve now and pay later.
Still have questions? Email us at info@airliebeachscenicflight.com