Helikopter - Heli-Union fornyer flåten - AIN

French Offshore Operator Proceeds with Fleet Renewal

Héli-Union, a Paris-headquartered operator, is proceeding with a fleet renewal despite the declining activity in the offshore oil-and-gas sector, the company’s mainstay. Héli-Union operates in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The last two of an order for six Finmeccanica AW139 medium twins were delivered in January. They meet all three criteria oil firms consider essential: high performance at takeoff (PC1), wide emergency exits and Sea State 6 (SS6) capability, Héli-Union CEO Patrick Molis told AIN. Meanwhile, the Airbus Helicopters AS365N3 Dauphin is still “the heart of our fleet,” Molis said. The 14 N3s Héli-Union owns are being retrofitted with sturdier fasteners on the flotation system, a modification that will make them SS6-capable. However, with that upgrade they will meet only one of the three criteria. The cabin, relatively small by today’s standards, is another disadvantage, said Molis. Héli-Union also has seven Sikorsky S-76C++s in its offshore fleet. The type meets none of the three criteria, and Molis claimed Sikorsky has not offered any upgrade for the medium twin. Other types in use in Héli-Union’s offshore business are the EC225 (three), Super Puma L1 medium twin (two) and EC145 twin (two).