Bel Air's two AW189 super medium twin engine helicopters that were delivered in Q3 2014 have exceeded 6,000 flight hours as of January this year, performing long range offshore transport missions in the North Sea.

The company has recently installed a Limited Icing Protection System (LIPS) onto its two AW189s. A unique feature in the super medium category, LIPS allows the AW189 to operate in full icing conditions when other types would be grounded. Bel Air has also opted for the 8.6 tonne maximum gross weight upgrade to give its customers greater levels of payload.

“We are an existing AW139 operator and the official Leonardo service centre for the AW139 and the AW189 in Denmark,” says CEO Susanne Hesselund. “We benefit from the unique operational, training, support and management advan-tages of this helicopter family. As well as oil and gas support we also carry out offshore wind turbine support, and these Leonardo types fit our mission requirements perfectly.”