Miami’s billionaire residents are paying approximately $1,000 per minute to land helicopters on floating platforms as traffic congestion reaches record levels, with the average commuter spending 93 hours stuck in traffic during 2024. ILandMiami, a marine utility vehicle company founded in 2016, launched its aquatic helipad service in January of last year, charging between $4,000 to $4,500 per landing for wealthy clients seeking to bypass Miami’s increasingly clogged roadways.
“It’s an expensive thing, but time is the most valuable thing to them,” said Angel Nicolas, a real estate agent whose clients spend eight figures on South Florida homes. The floating helipads have been spotted off the coast of Indian Creek, where Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos own waterfront properties, as well as near luxury hotels like the Fontainebleau.
“I realized how much money is here and how many properties are on the water and how many people could potentially use the service due to the traffic and the way Miami was growing,” said Adam Terris, ILandMiami’s CEO. “We had some billionaires calling us, and then the wheel started to turn.” The company hosts around 20 flights per month, with 95% serving individuals using personal or chartered helicopters.
The service appeals to Miami’s growing population of tech billionaires and financial titans who have purchased tens of millions of dollars worth of waterfront properties in recent months. Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, and Sergey Brin are among the world’s wealthiest individuals who have invested heavily in Miami real estate, creating demand for premium transportation solutions that offer privacy and efficiency.
“We’ve seen the kind of customers that are coming here - the superstars, the financial icons of the world - they want privacy, they want security, they want to come and go without everybody knowing they’re here,” said Nancy Batchelor, a luxury real estate agent at Compass. “Some of the big names that have moved here, I know they’re using it.” Batchelor recently featured an ILandMiami helipad in a promotional video for a $15 million home on Miami’s exclusive La Gorce Island.
The mobile helipads solve a unique problem for ultra-wealthy residents whose superyachts are too large to navigate Miami’s waterways but who still want helicopter access near their waterfront homes. It takes three to four minutes for aircraft to land and for passengers to disembark and board boats that transport them to shore, eliminating the need for hour-long drives to private airports.
“You can’t reach out to billionaires,” Terris said, explaining that the business operates primarily through referrals among Miami’s elite social circles. While Terris declined to name specific customers due to non-disclosure agreements, he confirmed that several clients have significant name recognition and would typically land helicopters directly on their superyachts if size constraints allowed.
The company obtained Coast Guard certification after years of development to ensure its marine utility vehicles could safely handle large commercial helicopters. ILandMiami represents the first service of its kind in Miami, capitalizing on the intersection of the city’s growing billionaire population and its worsening traffic conditions.
“We are showcasing what the lifestyle would look like,” said Alvaro Núñez, founder of Miami real estate marketing firm Super Luxury Group, which has partnered with ILandMiami. The company is expanding beyond serving only the ultra-wealthy to include clients seeking scenic tours for special occasions like anniversaries or proposals.
Future growth opportunities may emerge as several companies received approval last month to test electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft in Miami. Terris views any increase in Miami air traffic as a potential business opportunity, anticipating greater demand for landing pad services as flying taxi technology develops in South Florida.