UK SAR contract winners announced
The UK Department for Transport has announced the results of a procurement competition launched on 13 July 2011 for search and rescue (SAR) helicopter services to replace the existing Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) capability currently operated under contract by CHC.
The UK Department for Transport has announced the results of a procurement competition launched on 13 July 2011 for search and rescue (SAR) helicopter services to replace the existing Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) capability currently operated under contract by CHC.
In a written statement, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport Mike Penning reported that a contract has been signed with CHC Scotia Ltd to operate from the MCA bases at Portland and Lee-on-Solent in the south of the UK. A separate contract has been signed with Bristow Helicopters Ltd for services from the northern region – the Isle of Lewis and Shetland – using Sikorsky S-92s, the same model currently used by CHC at these bases. Operations under both MCA-managed contracts will commence by the time the existing MCA service contract expires, and will continue until June 2017.
Procurement is also underway for longer-term arrangements for a national SAR contract to commence during 2015. The future contractor for the UK will assume responsibility for the MCA capability during 2017.
Mike Imlach, director of Bristow, commented: “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. We are very much looking forward to renewing relationships with the MCA, emergency services and local communities in northern Scotland, working in partnership to once again provide vital search and rescue services to the UK public.” Bristow will work closely with the current operator to ensure that staff eligible for transfer achieve a smooth and seamless transition, added Imlach.