British helicopter group Patriot is to rename all its operations to “British International Helicopters”.  This follows the acquisition of British International in May, which brought with it the military contracts operated out of Plymouth and the Falkland Islands.  “British International Helicopters” was considered to be the strongest brand to unite all the helicopter operations under a single banner – this will include London Helicopter Centres, Patriot Aviation, Patriot Aerospace, Veritair and Vertiair (Northern Ireland).

Managing Director Mark Souster told HeliHub.com that there were a few issues to do with CAA approvals that still needed to be ironed out, but he expected the formal launch to be at Helitech International in September.  The move was alluded to when the ultimate parent company Rigby Group announced their purchase of RCAM, although the companies still officially have their old names according to Companies House records.

As the parent company moves towards owning/operating airports, these have been separated out from the operational aspects being referred to in this article.

HeliHub.com has reviewed various other aspects of a corporate rename, and finds the following potential issues – there is already a company called British International Helicopters Ltd in existence which has been in administration appears to date back to the era when the late Robert Maxwell owned the offshore operator.

Rigby Group says that it is the UK’s 13th largest privately owned business, employing over 6,000 staff worldwide.

Ben Haverdee – HeliHub.com