Rigby Group takes off in the Falklands with new £180m contract
WARWICKSHIRE-based Rigby Group has secured one of its most extreme contracts – operating aerial search and rescue services in the Falkland Islands.
Group subsidiary British International Helicopters is providing the service for the Ministry of Defence
It has begun flight operations in the South Atlantic, working alongside Britain’s military forces in the region.
The 10-year, £180m contract will see BIH undertake a range of assignments including around the clock, all-weather search and rescue, helicopter emergency services, rescue hoist operations, and passenger and cargo transfers.
Two new AW-189 helicopters customized by Finmeccanica have been sourced to meet the contracts and have been deployed alongside BIH’s existing Sikorsky S-61N support craft.
Under the terms of the MoD contract – delivered in partnership with AAR Airlift Group and Air Rescue Systems (ARS) – BIH’s Falklands team is providing a full range of flight operations, maintenance, logistics and facilities support from RAF Mount Pleasant.
Sir Peter Rigby, founder of BIH’s owner Rigby Group, said: “This is a proud moment for British International Helicopters. The Falkland Islands assignment is a challenging one, demanding the very best from both craft and crew, and there are not many operators with the capabilities required to deliver it.
“That our crews should be the ones selected to fly alongside and meet the exacting standards of the Royal Air Force is testament not only to their skill, but also to BIH’s reputation as a trusted military and commercial partner.”
BIH is the largest British-owned helicopter operator with a fleet of 25 aircraft and a staff of more than 150 people. The company has particular expertise in offshore operations and in the defence sector and in addition to the Falklands, it also operates the Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) helicopter support programme for the Royal Navy.
Paul Southall, Managing Director at BIH, added: “Although BIH has been operating alongside Britain’s forces in both the Falklands and the UK for many years, the commencement of this latest contract underlines the extent of our capabilities in the offshore and military sectors.”
