HNZ Group Inc. (TSX: HNZ.A, HNZ.B) (the “Corporation”), an international provider of helicopter transportation and related support services, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a contract by Shell Canada Energy (“Shell”) to provide offshore personnel and cargo transport, medevac and search and rescue services from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The services will be delivered by HNZ’s subsidiary Canadian Helicopters Ltd, which has provided emergency medical services support to Nova Scotia’s Emergency Health Services from the Halifax Stanfield International Airport since 1999.

Following a competitive tender process, the contract, which is subject to the execution of a definitive agreement, was awarded in support of Shell’s “Shelburne Basin Venture Exploration Drilling Project” which is expected to commence mid-year of 2015 for a duration of approximately 260 days. The contract will utilize two leased Sikorsky S-92 aircraft for offshore personnel, cargo and medevac transport and a third leased Sikorsky S-92 for dedicated search and rescue operations. Over the term of the initial contract period, revenues are expected to be approximately CAD$20 million dollars.

HNZ’s President and CEO, Don Wall, said “we are excited to expand our current aviation operations in Halifax to include this important step in supporting Shell’s exploration operations offshore Nova Scotia and we appreciate the continuing confidence Shell has placed in HNZ. We look forward to providing a safe and efficient service, while expanding our capabilities in Nova Scotia into heavy offshore helicopters including a full, all weather search and rescue service, in the North Atlantic.  This contract indicates success in executing our expansion and diversification strategy post-Afghanistan, and as a Canadian owned Corporation, marks the natural next step of entering the Canadian offshore oil and gas market.”

HNZ Group Inc., through its subsidiaries, has been a helicopter operator in Canada for over 60 years. This contract is HNZ’s third offshore oil and gas support contract with Shell globally and represents its first offshore contract in Atlantic Canada.

ABOUT HNZ GROUP INC.

HNZ Group is an international provider of helicopter transportation and related support services with operations in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and Southeast Asia. The Corporation operates in excess of 120 helicopters in support of a range of multinational companies and government agencies including onshore and offshore oil and gas, mineral exploration, military support, hydro and utilities, forest management, construction, air ambulance and search and rescue. In addition to charter services, it provides flight training and third-party repair and maintenance services. HNZ Group is headquartered near Montreal, Canada and employs approximately 700 personnel from 34 locations around the world. The Corporation operates from fixed-base locations as well as from temporary locations, commonly referred to as “pool locations”, and provides helicopters in a wide variety of climatic conditions and terrain across the globe.