Bristow wins rescue contract for North Sea

BRISTOW Helicopters has won the new government contract to operate the vital search and rescue service from the Coastguard bases at Sumburgh on Shetland and Stornoway in the Western Isles.

The contract is currently held by North Sea helicopter rivals CHC. But, under a separate contract, CHC will operate search and rescue services from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) bases at Portland and Lee on the Solent when the new arrangements come into force in 2013. The new contracts are expected to run for four years until the long-term future provision of the life saving service is finally decided.

Mike Penning, the parliamentary under-secretary for transport, told the House of Commons: “Operations under both contracts will commence by the time the existing MCA service contract expires, and will continue until June 2017. Both contracts will be managed by the MCA.”

He added: “As I announced on 28 November, procurement is now under way for longer- term arrangements, which will see search and rescue contracted nationally. Operations will commence under these longer-term arrangements during 2015, and the future contractor for the UK will assume responsibility for the MCA capability during 2017.”

Bristow director Mike Imlach said: “Bristow has an excellent reputation for faultless execution of search and rescue operations. We will bring our expertise to this contract, developed in the UK between 1971 and 2007 with 11,500 missions. In addition, we currently operate search and rescue services in Norway, the Netherlands, and Trinidad.”

Bristow is due to take over the short-term contract in July next year, using Sikorsky S-92 helicopters that already fly out of Sumburgh and Stornoway.