Lufttransport awarded North Sea SAR contract
Lufttransport has been awarded a contract by energy firm Equinor to provide search and rescue (SAR) helicopter services in the North Sea
The five-year contract will see Lufttransport use two Leonardo AW139 helicopters to provide SAR services in Norway’s Troll and Oseberg offshore oil and gas fields, beginning in early 2026.
One of the helicopters will be stationed at the Oseberg Field Centre, while the other will serve as a backup, and will be stationed at a heliport in Flesland.
The new helicopters will supplement the work of two Sikorsky S-92s that currently conduct SAR operations in the area.
While the initial term will see Lufttransport fly the AW139s until at least 2031, the contract includes an option for five one-year extensions – offering the potential for the service to be maintained until 2036.
Norwegian Air Ambulance ordered three H135s and two H145s from Airbus in December.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca was a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.