Bristow announced on 17th July that it has been certified to fly the much anticipated new generation AgustaWestland AW189 helicopter.

Bristow is the launch customer for the aircraft which has now been fully certified by the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

The company is due to commence flights with its first two new AW189 aircraft from its base at Norwich shortly, servicing the Southern North Sea. Bristow has a further four of the aircraft on order for oil and gas operations.

Equipped with the latest safety technology, the twin-engine, eight-ton AW189 has a capacity of 16 passengers and two crew and a range of 140 nautical miles, making it ideal for offshore operations in the North Sea.

Mike Imlach, Vice President of Operations and Managing Director of Bristow Helicopters Ltd, said: “We’re excited to be the launch customer for what is a superb aircraft and an important addition to our fleet. Bristow has worked closely with AgustaWestland throughout the aircraft’s development and the result is an aircraft of the highest technical specification with state of the art safety technology which will enable us to offer our clients the best possible capabilities. We look forward to commencing operations with the aircraft in the coming weeks.”