Offshore Helicopter Services UK (OHSUK) has taken two bespoke multi-million-pound Leonardo AW139 helicopters for the offshore energy sector Search and Rescue (SAR) fleet.
Based in Aberdeen, OHSUK has also confirmed it will continue to provide the Industry Search and Rescue service covering the North Sea and which supports up to 10,000 workers until at least 2032.
The fleet has aircraft currently, and they will be replaced by the two new aircraft with a bright blue and orange livery.
OHSUK, formerly called Babcock when it was owned by Babcock International (LON: BAB), has been running the North Sea emergency heli service since 2015.
The AW139s have been designed with input from industry technical leads, flight crews, engineers and medical staff.
New era for SAR
The Industry SAR is funded by North Sea operators and is separate to the SAR service funded by the UK Department for Transport Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Managing director Andy Rodden said: “Over the course of the last ten years the SAR crews have attended almost 1,000 call outs.
“That number shows just how vital the service is to those working offshore. We will use that experience to ensure our SAR teams are able to evolve and have access to the best equipment for the next decade to ensure that they are ready and prepared to respond to incidents at any time.
“This is a new era for the service. Securing a long-term deal shows the trust our partners have in the service and our ability to support their workforce, often when they are at their most vulnerable.
“The contract is excellent news for OHSUK, oil and gas participants and for the offshore energy sector as a whole.”
Industry Search and Rescue is funded and supported by multiple partners from across the energy sector.
As part of the initiative SAR crews are able to participate in extensive training flights, highlighting their continued commitment to the safety and security of personnel offshore.
© Supplied by OHSUKSearch and Rescue flight manager David Punchard said: “We have an all-weather capability and are ready to respond, round the clock 365 days of the year.
“The majority of the tasking is ‘medevac’, retrieval of injured people offshore, with a portion of that being search and rescue as well.
“We have the capability to respond to a wide range of incidents to provide a high level of medical care and rescue provision, but in an extreme environment, and get them to a place of safety as quickly as possible.
“It’s an exciting time for us, with two new airframes coming online it will allow us to provide even greater medical support and be ready for what the future brings.”
OHSUK
South Africa-based Ultimate Aviation acquired OHS last year following a period of uncertainty for the formerly-named Babcock helicopter firm.
Rival CHC had attempted to acquire the UK business, but was ordered to sell off its newly-acquired Babcock North Sea business by the Competition and Markets Authority.
Recommended for you
