CHC have sold Offshore Helicopter Services (the old Babcock MCS Offshore business) to Ultimate Aviation.    The financial aspects are expected to be completed in the first quarter of this year.

This only involves the UK aspects of Offshore Helicopter Services, while CHC will retain the Danish and Australian businesses.

Ultimate Aviation Group operates a varied range of operations, including offshore oil/gas, Antarctic, humanitarian aid, mining etc

CHC issued the following press release:

CHC Helicopter Group (CHC), the global helicopter company specialising in transportation and search and rescue operations, in addition to maintenance and overhaul services, announced the agreed sale of Offshore Helicopter Services UK (OHS UK) to Ultimate Aviation Group, a South African headquartered international aviation business.

OHS UK was acquired by CHC from FTSE 250 company Babcock International Group plc in 2021, along with Babcock’s offshore oil and gas operations in Denmark and Australia.  Following a Phase 2 investigation by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the CMA determined in August 2022 that CHC would be required to divest OHS UK, and an auction process was undertaken for this purpose.  A sale and purchase agreement was signed on 30 December 2022 under which CHC agreed to sell OHS UK to Ultimate Aviation Group.

The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including the final approval of the sale by the CMA, and is expected to complete in the first calendar quarter of 2023.

David Balevic, CHC President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “While we remain disappointed with the CMA’s decision and believe it was based on several fundamental misconceptions, we are glad to be close to completing this process through the sale of OHS UK to Ultimate Aviation.  CHC’s talented team will continue to deliver outstanding levels of service and safety, quality and innovation, through our existing UK business.”