Bristow used specially equipped SAR aircraft in the Gulf of Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana.

The first emergency request came in on 29 January. By 25 March, Bristow had completed 24 requests to transport offshore workers and Covid-19 test kits to remote offshore platforms, drilling rigs and drill ships. Bristow will continue to support emergency medical evacuation requests, which may include suspected Covid-19 patients.

Rob Phillips, Senior Vice-President for Bristow’s Americas area, said: “In the Americas region, we have always possessed the ability to safely transport potentially infectious patients in our SAR aircraft. Though the current response is the most comprehensive to date, consisting of a well co-ordinated and aligned multiagency and multinational effort. The safety, health, and welfare of our workforce, customers, and the public we support around the world is of the utmost importance to our global organization.”

David Jacob, Deputy Area Manager for Bristow Americas, added: “We are currently on track to be the first commercial operator in this region to implement portable, negative pressure isolation stretchers, for high-risk transports involving unconsciousness, non-ambulatory, or high-risk infectious disease patients receiving invasive en-route care. We are ready to help and have the experience to do it the right way and can expand this service to where needed to help battle COVID-19.”