HELICAL, a member of the HCM Group of New Caledonia, recently became the first South Pacific company to choose Airbus’ HCare Smart contract. Under the service, scheduled and unscheduled events are covered by a dedicated worldwide original equipment manufacturer (OEM) pool, ensuring the helicopter’s availability at all times, while maintenance costs are optimised and therefore lower.

“Airbus Helicopters’ parts-by-the-hour contract allows our spares stock to be reduced and lets us better manage our maintenance costs,” says Thierry Epplin, chief pilot at HELICAL.

HELICAL employs an H125 helicopter for nickel mining and drilling prospecting in New Caledonia’s mountainous regions. The H125 transports personnel and equipment to remote sites, and uses its external sling to complement mineral exploration.