Workers will be made redundant at a helicopter company in Aberdeen due to the “continued challenges in the oil and gas industry”, it has been announced.
North Sea helicopter operator Bristow Helicopters, part of the US-based Bristow Group, has announced that up to 15 employees could lose their jobs at locations in Aberdeen and Surrey.
Results revealed in May last year revealed net losses of £60.3million across Bristow Group during the year to March 31, against profits of about £69million in 2014/15.
The company cited foreign currency losses and “the severity of the oil and gas industry downturn” as factors in a 5.6% drop in operative revenue to £1.4billion.
It is understood the employees were first informed on Friday.
The company employs more than 1,100 people in the UK.
A spokeswoman for the operator said: “As a result of the continued challenges in the oil and gas industry, we have announced proposals involving 15 redundancies from corporate and office support functions within our Aberdeen and Redhill locations.
“We are consulting with our trade unions and employees over these proposals, and will support our employees through this process.
“Our focus remains on providing safe and efficient services to our clients.”
One Aberdeen-based employee, who did not wish to be named, said: “It’s all been done very cloak and dagger.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty amongst the workforce, because nobody quite knows what will happen.
“I’ve been sent home on garden leave, so the chances of coming back I believe are very slim.
“There’s a lot of concern because a lot of people have lost their jobs worldwide. It’s a really worrying situation for everyone here.”
In June last year, Bristow made 15 Aberdeen pilots redundant, in what was described at the time by the British Airline Pilot’s Association (BALPA) as a “devastating blow” for the north-east.
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