Babcock International Group has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Heli Aviation, the German operator based in Augsburg, and this business will sit within Babcock’s Mission Critical Services (MCS) business. With over 7-years’ experience in complex helicopter operations in challenging environments, Heli Aviation operates more than 11 helicopters of various types suitable for different kinds of missions.

The business specialises in Human Relief Missions for non-governmental organisations and government agencies to deliver food, medical supplies, doctors, patients and rescue teams to remote places, and holds a number of contracts with the International Red Cross, flying EC155 and AS365N Dauphin helicopters.  Heli Aviation already leases one AS365N3 Dauphin from Bond Offshore Helicopters – see HeliHub.com report – and, of course, Bond Offshore Helicopters is part of the Babcock Group and was earlier this week renamed Babcock Mission Critical Services Offshore (or Babcock MCS Offshore for short).

Subsidiary Northern Helicopter operates two AS365N3s on air ambulance work in Germany.

Heli Aviation also operates a thriving training academy focused on the French composite two-seater Guimbal Cabri G2.  At one time the company had eight of these and a contract to train pilots from China, but the fleet has reduced in the last two years and is now down to four.  Late last year the company had placed an order for another Cabri, serial 1122, but sold this to an American buyer before taking delivery in Germany.

Heli Aviation was previously owned by the Augsburg-based engineering company Ohnhäuser GmbH

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com