The North Sea offshore fleet is to be bolstered by new arrivals.
Helicopter operator CHC is to add five new aircraft to its fleet servicing operations in the UK and Australia.
It is understood that the North Sea will get two new Airbus 175 aircraft.
The order, with Milestone Aviation Group, also includes three new Leonardo AW189s.
The aircraft will be configured for ferrying offshore workers.
Karl Fessenden, president and chief executive of CHC Helicopter, said: “We are working closely with Milestone to carefully build a productive, safe and reliable fleet to meet the varying needs of our customers throughout the world.
“Milestone has been a valuable leasing partner towards this goal, with a diverse order book across manufacturers and types, and deep expertise in aircraft operational capabilities.”
Mr Fessenden added: “Since completing our restructuring in March, our fleet productivity has significantly improved and matches our historical peak levels before the oil and gas downturn.
“We are excited to add these new super medium aircraft to our fleet in support of new customer contracts.”
Daniel Rosenthal, president and chief executive of Milestone, said he was proud to help add to CHC’s fleet.
He added; “We have worked very closely with CHC since their restructuring to review their fleet needs and provide both the aircraft and capital solutions, through operating lease and debt financing, that meet those needs.
“We are delighted to deliver these new technology assets that fit their mission profile with improved economics for their end customers.
“Both the Leonardo AW189 and the Airbus H175 are designed to meet long-range, high endurance requirements in demanding environments, which will allow CHC to use them for missions that have either been traditionally limited to heavy aircraft or access platforms that are not designed to support them.
“This will not only give customers additional flexibility, but also help them lower their overall costs per passenger.”
The UK North Sea fleet currently comprises of 37 Sikorksy S92s, 19 AW139s, three AW189s, two AS365 Dauphin, two H155s, and two H175s.
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