Sedona Airplane Tours and Scenic Flights
Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock and Oak Creek Canyon look different when you are a few thousand feet over them. Here is every fixed-wing flight you can actually book from Sedona, what it costs, and the one detail most visitors get wrong: which airport it leaves from.
Sedona Airport sits on a mesa 500 feet above town, which makes it one of the most scenic small airports in the country and a natural launch pad for sightseeing flights. Three fixed-wing operators fly from it today. A fourth, Sedona Air Tours, keeps the Sedona name but departs from Cottonwood Airport in the Verde Valley, with free hotel pickup. Prices below are per person as published by each operator in September 2026, before taxes and fees. Confirm everything when you book, because seasonal rates and minimums change.
Sedona’s Best Quick Answer
Local scenic flights run 15 to 40 minutes. From Sedona Airport, Bluebird Air Tours starts at $265 for the first passenger on a private Cessna, and Sedona Airways starts at $299 per person on a six-seat twin. From Cottonwood, Sedona Air Tours starts at $99 per person for a 15 to 20 minute flight. Grand Canyon flyovers from Sedona start at $619 per person with Westwind Air Service. There are no airline flights into Sedona Airport, and the famous red biplane left town in 2019.
Which Airport Does Your Flight Leave From?
This is the question that trips people up, so check it before you book.
- Sedona Airport (KSEZ), 235 Air Terminal Drive, at the top of Airport Road in West Sedona. Sedona Airways, Bluebird Air Tours and Westwind Air Service check in at the terminal here. Parking at the terminal is free during the day.
- Cottonwood Airport, 1001 W. Mingus Avenue, Cottonwood. This is where Sedona Air Tours checks in and departs, for both its airplane and helicopter tours. The company offers free door to door pickup from most Sedona hotels, so the location matters less than it sounds, but plan the extra travel time into your day.
Every Airplane Tour You Can Book From Sedona
Local red rock flights first, then the day trips. “First passenger” pricing at Bluebird means the second seat is priced separately; call for the pair rate.
| Tour | Operator | Length | Price per person | Departs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit of Sedona | Sedona Air Tours | 15 to 20 min | $99 (groups of 2 or more) | Cottonwood |
| Canyon Cruise (private) | Bluebird Air Tours | 30 min | $265 first passenger | Sedona Airport |
| Mesa 2 Peak (private) | Bluebird Air Tours | 40 min | $292 first passenger | Sedona Airport |
| Sunset Flight (private) | Bluebird Air Tours | 40 min | $318 first passenger | Sedona Airport |
| Canyons and Cliffs | Sedona Air Tours | 35 to 40 min | $225 to $255 (by group size) | Cottonwood |
| The Majestic Sedona | Sedona Airways | 30 min | From $299 (2 seat minimum) | Sedona Airport |
| Majestic Sedona Airplane and Jeep Combo | Sedona Airways | 30 min flight plus Jeep tour | From $449 | Sedona Airport |
| Grand Canyon Aerial Tour | Westwind Air Service | 1.5 hours | $757 for 2, $619 each for 3 or more | Sedona Airport |
| Grand Canyon Signature (fly plus Hummer tour) | Westwind Air Service | 5 to 6 hours | $857 for 2, $719 each for 3 or more | Sedona Airport |
| First Class Grand Canyon (South Rim, lunch at El Tovar) | Sedona Airways | Morning departure, length not published | From $879 | Sedona Airport |
| Airxperience Grand Canyon | Sedona Air Tours | About 6 hours | $899 to $1,099 (by group size) | Cottonwood |
| Monument Valley Air and Ground | Westwind Air Service | 5 to 6 hours | $1,057 for 2, $919 each for 3 or more | Sedona Airport |
| Airxperience Monument Valley | Sedona Air Tours | Morning to early afternoon | $795 plus tax and fees | Cottonwood |
| Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon | Sedona Airways | Morning departure, length not published | From $1,399 | Sedona Airport |
| Airxperience Antelope Canyon (single canyon) | Sedona Air Tours | About 6 hours | $1,199 to $1,499 (by group size) | Cottonwood |
| Ultimate Tour of Northern Arizona (Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Lake Powell, Monument Valley) | Westwind Air Service | 8 to 9 hours | $1,775 for 2, $1,200 each for 3 or more | Sedona Airport |
The Operators
Sedona Airways
The six-seat option. Twin-engine Piper Navajo and Chieftain aircraft with a window for every passenger, flying daily from sunrise to sunset, weather permitting. The 30-minute Majestic Sedona loop covers Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte, then Oak Creek Canyon and the San Francisco Peaks above Flagstaff before turning home. Departures at 1 p.m. and at sunset, with a two-seat minimum; solo travelers can call to be paired with another party. Check in 30 minutes early at the Sedona Airport terminal. Day trips to the Grand Canyon South Rim and to Page for Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon leave every morning.
235 Air Terminal Drive, Sedona. (928) 227-0105. sedonaairways.com
Bluebird Air Tours
The private option. Three local aviators fly a high-wing Cessna 172 they call Blue, and every flight is yours alone: a maximum of two adults, no strangers in the back seat. The high wing means nothing blocks the view straight down. Three flights: the 30-minute Canyon Cruise over Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Oak Creek Canyon and Coffee Pot Rock; the 40-minute Mesa 2 Peak, which adds the San Francisco Peaks and the ponderosa forest around Flagstaff; and the 40-minute Sunset Flight, one per day, which the company says usually books out three to five days ahead. Proposals, gender reveals and ash scattering flights are offered.
235 Air Terminal Drive, Sedona. 1-877-359-5739. bluebirdairtours.com
Westwind Air Service
The Grand Canyon specialist. A Phoenix-based, family-owned company with more than 25 years of Arizona scenic flying, Westwind departs Sedona Airport in a 5 or 9 passenger plane depending on group size, with a window seat guaranteed. Its 1.5 hour Grand Canyon Aerial Tour crosses the red rocks, the San Francisco Peaks and the Painted Desert, then flies 1,000 feet above the rim through the widest and deepest part of the canyon. Longer days add a Hummer tour inside the park, a Navajo-guided 4×4 tour of Monument Valley, or the full northern Arizona circuit with an Antelope Canyon hike and Lake Powell. Ages 2 and up on most tours, 10 and up on the Ultimate. Arrive 30 minutes before departure.
Departs Sedona Airport. (480) 991-5557 or (888) 869-0866. westwindairservice.com
Sedona Air Tours (from Cottonwood)
The budget and the west-side option. Native American owned, flying a Cessna 207 Skywagon and a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter from Cottonwood Airport with free pickup at most Sedona hotels. The $99 Spirit of Sedona flight is the cheapest way into the air here, but note its route: the Verde Valley, Jerome, Sycamore Canyon, Loy Butte, Bear Mountain and Boynton Canyon, the wild country west of town rather than Cathedral Rock. The 35 to 40 minute Canyons and Cliffs flight adds the Mogollon Rim, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte. Day trips go to the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon. No age limit; children under 24 months fly free on a lap; passengers over 275 pounds book an additional half seat. They fly in rain but hold or reschedule when visibility drops under a mile. Office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
1001 W. Mingus Avenue, Cottonwood. (928) 204-5939. sedonaairtours.com
What a Scenic Flight Is Like
Altitude. No operator publishes a cruising altitude, but the airport’s rules do the math for you. Sedona is a noise-sensitive community, and the FAA’s airport listing states that scenic flights below 6,500 feet above sea level are not authorized. Sedona itself sits at roughly 4,500 feet, so expect to be at least 2,000 feet above the valley floor, high enough to see the whole formation at once and low enough to pick out hikers on Bell Rock.
Time of day. Sunset is the flight everyone wants, which is why Bluebird runs only one a day and Sedona Airways schedules a dedicated sunset departure. Sedona Air Tours warns that early morning and winter flights can be chilly, so bring a sweater or jacket.
Season. Fall brings crisp, clear air and color in Oak Creek Canyon. Winter air is often the clearest of the year, with low sun and long shadows on the rock. Summer afternoons in monsoon season (mid June through September) build towering clouds, so book mornings. See our month by month guide to visiting Sedona for the weather picture.
Weather. Every operator flies weather permitting. Sedona Air Tours will fly in rain but holds when visibility drops below one mile; Westwind refunds in full for cancellations six or more days out and charges the full fare inside 48 hours, so read the policy when you book.
What to bring. Sedona Airways suggests a camera or phone, sunglasses, comfortable clothing, a small bag and water in a sealable container. For photos, Apex Air Tours’ pilots recommend dark clothing to cut window reflections, the lens close to the glass, a fast shutter of at least 1/500 second, and a 24 to 70 mm or 24 to 105 mm zoom.
Ages and weights. Sedona Airways and Sedona Air Tours accept all ages on local flights; Westwind starts at age 2; Antelope Canyon day trips exclude children 8 and under. Only Sedona Air Tours publishes a weight rule (a half seat surcharge over 275 pounds). Ask the others when you book.
Grand Canyon by Air: Why the Route Is Special
Westwind describes its Grand Canyon flight as a route only a few are allowed to fly, and that is literally true. Federal rules create a Grand Canyon Special Flight Rules Area from the ground up to 14,500 feet, with four flight-free zones over the most visited parts of the park and a handful of named corridors through which air tours are permitted. Tour flights cross the canyon about 1,000 feet above the rim, which is far lower than any airliner and far wider a view than any overlook. No helicopter operator in Sedona flies to the canyon at these prices; the airplane is the practical way to see it in a day and be back for dinner.
Two things to know before booking a land-and-tour day: foreign visitors pay a $100 National Park Service permit fee on Westwind’s Signature tour, and the Antelope Canyon trips involve a 1.5 hour hike in sand and heat that the operator calls strenuous.
Airplane, Helicopter or Hot Air Balloon?
| Option | Local price per person | Time aloft | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airplane | $99 to $318 | 15 to 40 min | Covering the most ground, day trips to the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and Page, private flights for two |
| Helicopter | $99 to $649 | 12 to 55 min | Slow, low passes and hovering near the formations; Apex flies six forward-facing seats from Sedona Airport, Guidance Air has flown from Sedona since 1998 |
| Hot air balloon | $375 | 1 to 1.5 hours aloft, 3 to 4 hours total | Sunrise only, silent, standing in a basket of 7 to 14 people, champagne after landing; minimum age 5 at Northern Light, 48 inches tall at Red Rock Balloons |
For the rotor side of the decision, read our guide to Sedona helicopter tours and the profile of Guidance Air. Prefer to stay on the ground and still get the views? A Jeep tour reaches many of the same landmarks from below.
Sedona Airport Without Leaving the Ground
Pilots call it the USS Sedona, because the 5,132 foot runway sits on a mesa 500 feet above town with cliffs off both ends, about as close to landing on an aircraft carrier as most of them will ever get. The field is owned by Yavapai County, opened in 1955, and has had no scheduled airline service since 1997. Even if you never board a plane, the mesa is worth the drive up Airport Road.
- Airport Scenic Overlook: $3 per vehicle for the day, paid at the kiosk by card or cash, with views over Chimney Rock, Thunder Mountain and Coffee Pot Rock. The airport suggests arriving an hour before sunset to beat the traffic. The Sedona View Trail drops 0.7 miles to the vortex parking lot and the 3.2 mile Airport Loop circles the mesa. Our Sedona Airport and Airport Mesa page covers the overlook and the vortex in detail.
- Mesa Grill: the Southwestern restaurant next to the overlook, with planes landing beyond the patio tables. Open daily 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., happy hour 3:30 to 5:30. Read our Mesa Grill review.
- Sky Ranch Lodge: the hotel on the mesa, if you want to wake up above the town. See our Sky Ranch Lodge profile.
Flying To Sedona: Which Airports Have Airline Service
Sedona Airport has no commercial airline flights. Most visitors fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor, about two hours south by car, or into Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, about 45 minutes north, which American Airlines serves with daily flights from Phoenix and Dallas/Fort Worth. Shuttle services run from both airports. Sedona Airport does handle private and charter aircraft, and Sedona Airways offers on-demand charters to Las Vegas, Phoenix, Scottsdale, San Diego, Page and the Grand Canyon.
Sedona Airplane Tour FAQ
How much does an airplane tour of Sedona cost?
Local scenic flights start at $99 per person for a 15 to 20 minute flight with Sedona Air Tours from Cottonwood Airport. From Sedona Airport, Bluebird Air Tours charges $265 for the first passenger on a private 30 minute flight and Sedona Airways starts at $299 per person for its 30 minute Majestic Sedona tour. Prices are as published in September 2026, before taxes and fees.
Where do Sedona airplane tours take off from?
Sedona Airways, Bluebird Air Tours and Westwind Air Service check in at the Sedona Airport terminal, 235 Air Terminal Drive, on the mesa above West Sedona. Sedona Air Tours departs from Cottonwood Airport, 1001 W. Mingus Avenue in Cottonwood, and offers free pickup from most Sedona hotels.
How long is a scenic flight over Sedona?
Local flights run 15 to 40 minutes. The 30 minute flights cover Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte and Oak Creek Canyon; the 40 minute flights add the San Francisco Peaks above Flagstaff. Grand Canyon flyovers from Sedona take about 1.5 hours, and land-and-tour days run 5 to 9 hours.
Can I fly from Sedona to the Grand Canyon?
Yes. Westwind Air Service flies a 1.5 hour Grand Canyon aerial tour from Sedona Airport from $619 per person for groups of three or more, and offers longer days that land at the park. Sedona Airways runs a South Rim day with a guided tour and lunch at El Tovar from $879, and Sedona Air Tours flies a six hour Grand Canyon day from Cottonwood from $899 per person.
Are there still biplane tours in Sedona?
No. The red Waco biplane that flew tourists over Sedona from 1994 was sold in November 2019 and its owner said the biplane tours would not restart. Any listing that still advertises Red Rock Biplane Tours is out of date.
Can I fly commercially into Sedona Airport?
No. Sedona Airport has had no scheduled airline service since 1997 and handles private and charter aircraft only. Visitors fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor, about two hours away by car, or Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, about 45 minutes away, which American Airlines serves from Phoenix and Dallas/Fort Worth.
Is a helicopter or an airplane better for seeing Sedona?
Helicopters fly slower and lower passes close to the formations and cost $99 to $649 per person locally. Airplanes cover more ground per dollar, offer private flights for two with Bluebird, and are the only practical way to reach the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley or Antelope Canyon from Sedona in a day.
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