Aircraft To Be Assigned To UK Search & Rescue Missions

At a ceremony held in London on July 18th, AgustaWestland and Bristow Group signed a contract for 11 AW189 Search & Rescue (SAR) helicopters that will be used to deliver SAR services in and around the UK. The contract was signed by Mike Imlach, Director of European Operations, Bristow Group and Geoff Hoon, Managing Director International Business, AgustaWestland, in the presence of Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport.

In addition to the aircraft, AgustaWestland will provide related training, maintenance and support services. The 11 AW189s will be built at AgustaWestland’s Yeovil facility and operated by Bristow in the UK, with a phased introduction to service between 2015 and 2017. The overall program value to AgustaWestland, which was announced in March 2013, is in excess of $362 million.

Bristow Helicopters Ltd. was awarded a contract by the UK Department for Transport in March 2013 to provide SAR services to the UK for 10 years and selected the AW189 SAR variant as one of the central platforms for the UK SAR program.

“This deal will not only ensure that the UK is served by a new generation of state-of-the-art search and rescue helicopters but will also provide a welcome boost to Britain’s world-class aerospace industry," said Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport. "This is good news for those who rely on our search and rescue helicopters and good news for British manufacturing.”

Mike Imlach, Director of European Operations, Bristow Group, said the aircraft has great potential and will be a tremendous addition to the Bristow Group Search and Rescue aircraft fleet, "and the fact that it will be assembled in Yeovil will help the UK economy further.”

The AW189, the latest helicopter produced and equipped by AgustaWestland to undertake SAR missions, builds on the Company’s heritage and expertise in search and rescue both in the UK and abroad. The iconic Westland Sea King, which has been operational for over 30 years, is currently flying the majority of Search and Rescue missions in the UK alongside the AW139 which is undertaking the same role, primarily on Britain’s south coast, for the Maritime & Coastguard Agency.

(Pictured: Standing (Left to Right) Daniele Romiti, CEO, AgustaWestland; Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport and Mark Duncan, Senior Vice President Commercial, Bristow Group. Seated (Left to Right) Geoff Hoon, SVP International Business, AgustaWestland and Mike Imlach, Director of European Operations, Bristow Group)

FMI: www.agustawestland.com