29-Jun-2016Source: HeliHub.com
Bristow Helicopters in the UK has announce the launch of Bristow Logistics Services Shetland (BLSS) as a new offering to transport oil and gas workers through Scatsta Airport. This will be run in parallel with the existing Integrated Aviation Consortium (IAC) work they have had at the airport for the last 20 years, and will... Read more
24-Jun-2016Source: HeliHub.com
Babcock Mission Critical Services Offshore are going through more fleet changes than most following the grounding of the Airbus AS332L2 and EC225 models. In recent weeks they have taken on four new Sikorsky S92s, but that seems to have given them a storage issue at Aberdeen. Yesterday, Babcock transported three AS332L2 Super Pumas by road... Read more
7-Jun-2016Source: HeliHub.com
Babcock MCS have imported two brand new Sikorky S92 helicopters in recent days, with the pair arriving airfreight in an Antonov An-124 to Prestwick Airport and then transported by road to the company base at Aberdeen. They have been registered G-MCSA (serial 920273) and G-MCSB (serial 920281), the first use of a new series of... Read more
7-Jun-2016Source: HeliHub.com
Embattled offshore operator CHC, in the midst of reducing their fleet by 90 helicopters over 60 days, is taking steps to ensure current contract commitments can be met following the grounding of EC225 and AS332L2 helicopters. In common with other operators on the North Sea, CHC have brought in two Sikorsky S92s from Canada to... Read more
6-Jun-2016Source: HeliHub.com
Bristow Group has moved an offshore-equipped Sikorsky S92 from Brazil to the UK. Owned in the name of their own Brilog Leasing division, the aircraft was previously operated in Brazil by Lider Taxi Aereo as PR-JBH from new in spring 2012. The helicopter is now registered G-CIYD and is serial 920159. I was operated by... Read more
3-Jun-2016Source: HeliHub.com
EASA has issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive 2016-0104-E which prohibits any flights of Airbus AS332L2 and EC225 helicopters with the exception of a single flight without passengers to ferry such a helicopter to a maintenance base. This follows earlier groundings from the national Civil Aviation Authorities of Norway and the UK, with the exception of... Read more
24-May-2016Source: HeliHub.com
As the grounding of the EC225 continues, the North Sea operators are looking around their fleets to see how they can cover the shortfall. Bristow has identified a Sikorsky S92 in its Nigerian operation, and the aircraft is currently on its ferry flight north. The particular aircraft only departed Aberdeen on 23rd March and ferried... Read more
19-May-2016Source: Statoil
The mandate for Statoil’s in-house investigation of the helicopter accident on 29 April is ready. The purpose of the investigation is to identify measures to improve Statoil’s work on helicopter safety on the Norwegian continental shelf. The Accident Investigation Board Norway is responsible for identifying the chain of events and the cause of the accident.... Read more
17-May-2016Source: HeliHub.com
Bristow Helicopters are today starting operations from Norwich using a Sikorsky S92. This is the first time the S92 has been used by any operator out of Norwich, one of two key bases for the southern sector of the North Sea and supporting offshore rigs involved in gas production. The move has come around following... Read more
6-May-2016Source: HeliHub.com
Bristow Helicopters has completed a one year contract in the Falkland Islands with three Sikorsky S92s. While the contract allowed for extensions beyond the first year, the continued depressed oil price has meant that these were not exercised – as predicted by HeliHub.com. The company’s announcement of the contract win early in 2015 described it... Read more
27-Apr-2016Source: Bristow Helicopters
On March 31, 2016, Bristow Helicopters Limited flew the last scheduled flight to and from the Murchison platform in the North Sea before its decommissioning. The flight crew wanted to make the journey especially memorable for the oil workers onboard, and after Bristow’s chief pilot liaised with the teams both onshore and offshore to ensure... Read more
8-Apr-2016Source: SeaPlanner
In a contract awarded by DONG Energy (DE), SeaPlanner was confirmed as the system provider for their Marine and Helicopter Coordination Centre (MHCC), acting as a centralised hub for their UK offshore wind farm construction and a number of regional Operations MHCCs. The MHCC project utilises SeaPlanner’s latest enhancements that set out to centralise, standardise,... Read more
6-Apr-2016Source: Bristow Helicopters
Bristow Helicopters Limited, the market leading helicopter logistics company, has commenced flights for Petrofac in the Central North Sea. The contract, which sees Bristow flying Petrofac passengers to the Central North Sea for the first time, commenced in March and will continue for three years, with two additional one year options. Alan Corbett, Managing Director... Read more
4-Apr-2016Source: PPC
The downturn in the energy industry has idled millions of dollars of oil and gas equipment worldwide, including the nearly a fifth of the helicopters used to ferry workers and equipment to offshore rigs, according to The Wall Street Journal. [Other sources give nearer to one third. Ed] Dallas-based Protective Packaging Corporation recently helped a... Read more
31-Mar-2016Source: Bond
Bond Offshore Helicopters has been awarded a new contract to provide offshore crew transport on behalf of Premier Oil. The three year deal, awarded after a competitive tender, will see the helicopter operator transport thousands of men and women to and from Premier’s offshore platforms in the North Sea. Bond’s helicopters will serve areas including... Read more
23-Mar-2016Source: Oil & Gas UK
Mick Borwell, Health & Safety Director, Oil & Gas UK, said: “Following publication of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch report into the Sumburgh tragedy we will take time to carefully examine its findings. Our thoughts are with the families, friends and colleagues of those not with us today. “There are many recommendations in this report... Read more
16-Feb-2016Source: RGU
Charting their body dimensions has also cast valuable light on their ability to escape through a helicopter window. Bigger individuals are less likely to be able to do so than smaller individuals, but the study has shown that size isn’t everything. The new findings from a joint research project into the size and shape of... Read more
2-Feb-2016Source: Aberdeen Airport
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP today (Monday 1 February 2016) visited Aberdeen International Airport to unveil details of what will be the single largest investment in the airport since the current terminal opened its doors in 1977. A total of £20 million will be invested in the airport resulting in a 50% increase in the... Read more
16-Dec-2015Source: Bond
Bond Offshore Helicopters, part of the Babcock Mission Critical Services business, has launched an entirely new service which will take passengers to offshore Oil and Gas facilities in the Northern North Sea from Aberdeen via new facilities at Sumburgh Airport, Shetland. Following an agreement with LoganAir, Bond now transport hundreds of passengers a week from... Read more
14-Dec-2015Source: Bond
Bond Offshore Helicopters – a Babcock Mission Critical Services business – has launched a new service today that allows sick or injured passengers, including those who can’t wear a lifejacket or survival suit, to be brought back to shore by helicopter. Previously people who were too ill to fly either had to wait offshore until... Read more
11-Dec-2015Source: OffShore Energy Today
Offshore Energy reported Thursday that North Sea helicopter pilots had indicated strong support for strike action if helicopter companies do not make serious improvements in the way they deal with job losses. See Full Story... Read more
5-Nov-2015Source: Petrofac
Petrofac, Faroe Petroleum and Eni Hewett have established an innovative cost saving partnership to drive efficiencies and commercial synergies across their UK operations in the Southern North Sea. The tripartite agreement sees collaboration between Petrofac (Duty Holder) and the respective equity owners and operators of the Hewett, Schooner and Ketch gas fields to share logistics... Read more
14-Sep-2015Source: Oil And Gas
Oil & Gas UK, the representative organisation for the UK offshore oil and gas industry, today (25 August) announces a number of appointments of member company representatives to its Board with immediate effect. Alan Corbett, managing director at Bristow Helicopters, will represent the aviation sector on the Board, replacing Richard Mintern of Babcock International Group.... Read more
10-Sep-2015Source: CHC
Statoil has exercised options to extend its contract with CHC Helikopter Service AS, securing helicopter search-and-rescue services to its Tampen and Oseberg fields until 2019 in a deal worth over $90 million. CHC will continue to provide offshore search-and-rescue services to the fields using three new technology H225 aircraft. CHC also delivers crew change services... Read more
2-Sep-2015Source: Airbus
NHV Group has logged the first 1,000 flight hours with the H175, proving this super-medium-sized rotorcraft’s capabilities and reliability in highly demanding operations, especially the transportation of crews and supplies to off-shore oil and gas platforms – the primary mission for which it was designed. The 1,000 hours have been accumulated by NHV’s initial two... Read more
27-Aug-2015Source: Unite The Union
Ahead of the second anniversary of the Sumburgh offshore helicopter tragedy, Unite has called on the UK government to urgently revisit the recommendation of the previous parliament’s Transport Select Committee for a public inquiry into offshore helicopter safety. The death of four offshore workers when their helicopter ditched in the waters off the Sumburgh coast... Read more
18-Aug-2015Source: Balpa
Over a third of helicopter pilots operating in the North Sea met last night in Aberdeen at a meeting convened by BALPA to hear an update on the negotiations over planned redundancies. The meeting was appalled to hear the employers’ approach to the redundancies, at the ruthless exploitation of the weak market by the oil... Read more
5-Aug-2015Source: BBC
About 50 jobs at Aberdeen helicopter firm CHC are at risk.See Full Story... Read more
17-Jul-2015Source: BBC News
The Aberdeen-based company said it was continuing to be hit by a downturn in the North Sea oil and gas industry. See full story... Read more
8-Jul-2015Source: BBC News
A ruling that investigators should hand over the black box from a North Sea helicopter crash to Scotland’s top law officer is being challenged. See full story... Read more
26-Jun-2015
Bristow aircraft returned to base after caution light illuminated – reportedly in error... Read more
16-Jun-2015Source: The Scotsman
SURVIVORS of a North Sea helicopter crash in which four people were killed are seeking compensation of over £5 million. See Full Story... Read more
30-Apr-2015Source: CAA
he UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) today announced at the Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG) a new set of proposals aimed at improving the safety of helicopter operations to the 116 normally unattended offshore installations in the North Sea. The proposals build upon an independent report compiled by Cranfield University, commissioned by the CAA,... Read more
1-Apr-2015Source: Evening Express
OFFSHORE workers who fail to comply with new helicopter regulations could end up stranded, according to an offshore medical provider. See Full Story... Read more
3-Mar-2015Source: Sikorsky
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. today announced that the defense and security company Saab has become a Sikorsky-authorized S-92® helicopter Customer Support Center. The Customer Support Center will operate out of Aircontact Aviation Maintenance AS facility in Stavanger, Norway, and will offer maintenance services for North Sea operators of S-92 helicopters. The announcement was made at the... Read more
11-Feb-2015Source: Statoil
The investment decision is expected next winter. Three various concept studies have been made for an unmanned wellhead platform. This platform has no living quarters, helicopter deck or lifeboats. “The alternative was to place the wells on the seabed, but the costs of subsea wells have been tripled during the last decade. We have therefore... Read more
10-Feb-2015Source: HeliHub.com
Just over two years since he was appointed as CEO of Bond Offshore Helicopters, Luke Farajallah has been announced as the new CEO of British airline Flybe effective from 1st April. This sees a return to his roots, given Bond’s announcement in early November 2012 said he had experience with Spanish startup low-cost airline Volotea... Read more
29-Jan-2015Source: CAA
Substantial progress has been made on measures to improve offshore helicopter safety but there is still more to do, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said today as it published a progress report on the recommendations and actions from its comprehensive review of offshore helicopter operations from February 2014. Safety improvements introduced since the CAA... Read more
17-Nov-2014Source: PSA
The audit was performed with assistance from the Civil Aviation Authority Norway (CAA Norway). Objective The objective of this audit was to review and evaluate the company’s management of emergency preparedness and helicopter operation at Ekofisk 2/4-L. We requested a presentation of the processes that COPSAS has established to ensure that prerequisites, limitations and recommendations... Read more
28-Oct-2014Source: CHC Helicopter
Total E&P UK is extending a decades-long relationship with CHC Helicopter in the North Sea, awarding CHC a long-term helicopter transportation contract to support Total’s offshore operations across the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS). The contract calls for CHC to operate two Sikorsky S-92 and two Airbus EC225 helicopters on behalf of Total. The helicopters... Read more
28-Oct-2014Source: Oil Gas
The Transport Select Committee published its report on offshore helicopter safety in July. Oil & Gas UK Chief Executive Malcolm Webb responded in a letter to the Committee report at the time. Today (October 27), the Government published its response to the Transport Select Committee Report alongside comments from Malcolm Webb’s letter. Oil & Gas... Read more
8-Oct-2014Source: Bristow
Bristow’s Europe Business Unit (EBU) unveiled the first AW189 search and rescue aircraft at this year’s Energy Ball. Several pilots and engineers worked very hard over the weekend to ensure the aircraft’s presence at the event went well. Bristow and AgustaWestland were title sponsors of the event. The evening started with a private reception for... Read more
7-Oct-2014Source: BBC
New rules are to be introduced on the size of oil workers travelling to and from offshore installations by helicopter. See Full Story... Read more
3-Oct-2014Source: Oil & Gas UK
The continuing steps being taken to improve further the safety of offshore helicopter flights will be outlined to the oil and gas sector on Thursday (October 2). Seven months after the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) published its ‘CAP1145’ report containing a series of actions and recommendations for helicopter safety, Oil & Gas UK is... Read more
28-Jul-2014Source: BBC
A helicopter crash which killed its co-pilot and 15 other men could have been prevented, an inquest has found. See full story... Read more
18-Jul-2014Source: Bristow Group
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... Read more
15-Jul-2014Source: Survitec
The world’s first Category A Emergency Breathing System (EBS), developed by the Survitec Group, has gained approval and certification by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). This is the first major response to the government inquiry and report into helicopter safety, which followed a fatal crash in the waters... Read more
7-Jul-2014Source: Irwin Mitchell
Lawyers representing several passengers injured when a Eurocopter Super Puma helicopter came down in the North Sea 32 miles south west of Shetland in October 2012 have welcomed an acceptance of responsibility from the helicopter manufacturer which paves the way for settlements to be agreed. Irwin Mitchell’s specialist Aviation Law team represents 12 oil rig... Read more
2-Jul-2014Source: HeliHub.com
As part of its massive 288 day tour of the Commonwealth countries, the Commonwealth Games Baton has today been taken to and from the Clair platform in the North Sea. The baton is on a 40 day tour of Scotland from 14 June to 23 July, and the symbolic visit to the rig marks the... Read more
18-Jun-2014Source: BBC
BBC has been given the first chance to try out a new safety device that could save lives in the future. See full story... Read more
13-Jun-2014Source: Aberdeen City Council
A proposal for a new helicopter hangar at Aberdeen International Airport is to be considered by councillors next week. The Bond Offshore Helicopter plan, which proposes building a hangar at the corner of Farburn Terrace and Cordyce View, adjacent to the firm’s eastern terminal, has been recommended for approval. The proposed hangar, which would be... Read more
13-Jun-2014Source: Airbus Helicopters
Today, the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) issued its final determination following its investigation into the causes linked to two controlled ditchings that occurred in the North Sea on May 10, 2012 and October 22, 2012 aboard EC225 helicopters. Airbus Helicopters affirms the conclusions drawn in the report concerning the causes of the two controlled... Read more
11-Jun-2014Source: HeliHub.com
The formal report on the accidents to a Bond and a CHC EC225 in 2012 has now been released by the AAIB. A further seven new Safety Recommendations have been made, including five related to the liferafts and one related to the fatigue performance of components manufactured from high strength low alloy steel. These are listed below... Read more
30-May-2014Source: Airbus Helicopters
Following its successful demo tour in the North Sea, the EC175 headed to NHV in Ostende, Belgium for three days of demonstration flights. In total, five flights were held carrying passengers such as NHV shareholders, investors, and Search and Rescue pilots. Listen to Annabelle De Witte, HSE Manager for Senvion Benelux, Remco Siemerink, SAR base... Read more
23-May-2014Source: HeliHub.com
The second AW189 for delivery to Bristow Helicopters is ready for its flight from the AgustaWestland factory in Italy to the UK. This follows its registration with UK’s Civil Aviation Authority on Thursday as G-OENA, with serial number 49007. In strict numerical terms, this example precedes the first delivery, G-OENB serial 49008 but it is... Read more
18-May-2014Source: Airbus
The EC175 is Airbus Helicopters’ newest-certified rotorcraft in the 7-metric-ton class. It will demonstrate its outstanding Category A performance and its mission capabilities for the oil and gas sector during a three-nation demonstration tour starting on May 19. In conjunction with the new rotorcraft’s tour of the North Sea, Airbus Helicopters will announce an increase... Read more
16-May-2014Source: Orga Offshore
Orga Offshore has installed its innovative CAP 437-compliant Circle – H LED touchdown, positioning and heliport identification marking system on Ensco’s jackup drilling rigs ENSCO 70 and ENSCO 80. The latter marks the fifth installation for Orga in as many weeks and with orders to deliver and install 550 certified Circle-H helideck lighting systems over... Read more
8-May-2014Source: Oil & Gas UK
In response to the annoucement from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) today, Oil & Gas UK chief executive, Malcolm Webb, said: “The CAA consultation with industry has been highly constructive, prompting and accelerating the introduction of breakthrough lifesaving equipment over a year ahead of CAA proposed action A10 (CAP1145) – a real milestone for safety... Read more
8-May-2014Source: CAA
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced changes to two of its requirements aimed at improving offshore helicopter safety. It follows discussions with the oil and gas industry, helicopter operators and representatives of the offshore workforce and pilots. In February the CAA announced a series of measures to improve the safety of offshore operations.... Read more
1-May-2014Source: HeliHub.com
BBC News is reporting that the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union is seeking the cancellation of a seminar which is looking at the legal implication of the CAA’s offshore safety review. In particular they are concerned that the event will be used to advise employers of offshore workers how to relieve them of their... Read more
13-Mar-2014Source: Oil & Gas UK
Robert Paterson, Oil & Gas UK health, safety and employment issues director, said: “Today’s Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) conclusion into the 2009 helicopter crash provides us with a powerful reminder of the paramount importance of following procedures, and the need for effective communication. Since the publication of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report in... Read more
13-Mar-2014Source: Bond Offshore Helicopters
Bond Offshore hopes that Sheriff Principal Derek Pyle’s determination today (March 13th) brings a degree of closure to the families, friends and dependents of those who died in the tragedy of 2009. We at Bond also lost friends and colleagues that day. Although Sheriff Principal Pyle has indicated that spalling was, on balance, the most... Read more
13-Mar-2014Source: Judiciary of Scotland
Summary of FAI Determination into the deaths of 16 people following the helicopter crash on 1 April 2009. On Wednesday 1 April 2009, a Super Puma helicopter, owned by Bond Offshore Helicopters Limited, was flying over the North Sea, en route from the Miller Oil Platform to Aberdeen, when it plunged into the sea killing... Read more
25-Feb-2014Source: Macquarie
Macquarie Rotorcraft Leasing, the helicopter leasing business of Macquarie Group (ASX: MQG; ADR: MQBKY), announced today its first purchase and lease back transaction for Bond Offshore Helicopters, a subsidiary of the Avincis Group (Avincis), for two new Sikorsky S-92 helicopters to be configured for offshore oil-and-gas crew change operations. The two S-92 helicopters will be... Read more
20-Feb-2014Source: Bristow Helicopters
Bristow Helicopters Ltd welcomes today’s report issued by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Offshore Helicopter Safety. Bristow is renowned for its Target Zero safety philosophy and we always support initiatives which enhance the safety of offshore oil and gas operations. In the meantime we are closely examining the recommendations made by the CAA... Read more
20-Feb-2014Source: CAA
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) today announced a series of measures to increase the safety of offshore helicopter flights. The changes are the result of a comprehensive review of offshore helicopter operations undertaken in conjunction with the Norwegian CAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and advised by a panel of independent experts.... Read more
7-Feb-2014Source: HeliHub.com
Bristow Helicopters have now ferried both of their Sikorsky S61s back to the UK at the end of their SAR contract in the Netherlands. Earlier this year we reported that Belgian operator NHV had won the North Sea offshore SAR contract from Bristow and will operatetwo AS365N Dauphin helicopters from Den Helder Airport. Bristow ferried one... Read more
7-Feb-2014Source: Bristow
Bristow Helicopters Ltd has made a strategic investment acquiring a 60 percent interest in Eastern Airways International Ltd. Eastern Airways will continue to operate as normal, independently from Bristow, and under its own brand led by the current management team. This formalised agreement builds on a strong relationship between Bristow and Eastern Airways that dates... Read more
28-Jan-2014Source: BALPA
Pilots will call for an independent judicial inquiry into North Sea helicopter safety in evidence to the House of Commons Transport Select Committee this afternoon. Captain Colin Milne, the Chairman of BALPA’s Helicopter Affairs Committee, will give evidence to the Committee’s inquiry into helicopter safety at 1500 today, Monday, 27 January 2014 at the Committee’s... Read more
15-Jan-2014Source: University of Aberdeen
Unmanned flying drones are being used to recover more of the oil reserves from the North Sea and beyond by studying geology from the sky. Academics at the University of Aberdeen, in collaboration with a group at the University of Bergen in Norway, are using remotely operated flying machines to scan rock formations in remote... Read more
2-Jan-2014Source: NOGEPA
On 20th December, NOGEPA signed a contract with North Sea Helicopters Vlaanderen (NHV) for Search and Rescue (SAR) services. The contract entails provision of SAR services from 1/1/2014 and has a minimum duration of 6 months. NHV will operate from Den Helder Airport with two AS365N (Dauphin) helicopters, supported by additional AS365N helicopters from the Botlek area. The... Read more
2-Jan-2014Source: RMT
Transport and offshore union RMT today issued a fresh call for First Minister Alex Salmond to take immediate and decisive action to establish a public inquiry into helicopter safety and a series of wider, associated issues relating to safety in the North Sea offshore industry. RMT has written to the First Minister and is awaiting... Read more
11-Dec-2013Source: Bristow Group
Following a competitive tender process Bristow Helicopters Ltd has been successful in securing a significant new contract to provide helicopter services to BP Exploration Operating Company Ltd. The contract is for a five year term, with an option to extend, and has a value around £125million. Bristow will provide helicopter support for BP’s offshore installations... Read more
21-Nov-2013Source: STV
Safety consultant Ronnie McDonald also said the issues raised by Unite are already being addressed by the Helicopter Safety Steering Group, which features the offshore unions, including Unite. See full story... Read more
6-Nov-2013Source: HeliHub.com
Unite the union have invited media to the launch on Wednesday 6th November of their ‘Back Home Safe’ campaign which calls for immediate improvements to the safety of offshore helicopter flights on the North Sea. The union’s demands which reflect the wishes and concerns of Unite members and the wider offshore workforce call for; Safer emergency... Read more
