CHC Helicopter opens new Dublin base

CHC Helicopter has opened its new SAR base at Dublin Airport, Ireland, which will help to support the Coast Guard.

Opened on 18 October by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross and Karl Fessenden, President and CEO of CHC Helicopter, the new facility is ‘state-of-the-art’, according to Fessenden, and includes additional office space, enhanced living accommodations and a new hangar for engineering.

“CHC has been providing search and rescue helicopter services in Ireland for nearly 20 years, and today’s opening of our new facility marks an important milestone for search and rescue and CHC in Ireland,” Fessenden added. “The improvements that have been made to the base will give our crews access to the best possible facilities to ensure that they can continue to deliver their vital, life-saving work.”

At the ceremony, guests were given a base and aircraft tour and shown a winching display, and a commemorative plaque was unveiled by Minister Ross.

“This new facility at Dublin Airport is testament to CHC’s commitment to delivering the best possible service for the Coast Guard and ultimately the people who count on that service here in Ireland,” Minister Ross said at the event. “The entire team here at CHC – from support staff and engineers to rear crew and pilots – deserves our thanks and should be proud of its continued contribution to delivering this vital service.”

CHC Ireland completes around 1,000 SAR missions a year and operates 24/7 all around the country.