Operating lessor LCI is supporting the relaunch of British offshore helicopter services company Bond Helicopters with the provision of three Leonardo AW139s, according to Padraig Conneely, senior vice president, Technical Operations, LCI.
The AW139s will start operations with Bond Helicopters next month from its base in Norwich, UK. Their mission will be to support Anglo-French oil and gas company Perenco’s operations in the North Sea.
“Over the previous 12 months, the LCI team has been working on a complex but rewarding transition of aviation assets from South America to the UK,” said Conneely. “These will support the re-launch of Bond Helicopters. LCI and Bond Helicopters have worked together successfully in the past, and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to deliver the first three aircraft for their new fleet.”
Bond Helicopters – a joint venture between aviation services company Gama Aviation and helicopter industry veteran Peter Bond – is fulfilling a five-year offshore contract with Perenco. Getting Bond’s red helicopter livery to market on time and within budget was not something LCI took lightly, he added.
LCI’s support for Bond included helping transfer the helicopters from South America to the UK. This involved “many months of advanced planning”, the re-negotiation of lease returns, the acceleration of heavy maintenance inspections and complex redelivery processes and logistics. “Our team is proud to successfully deliver complex, international, multi-aircraft transitions like this one,” said Conneely.
