Ireland’s Coast Guard reached another milestone in the transition of the Search and Rescue aviation contract from CHC to Bristow, with the Dublin-based helicopter service recently rolling out operations from Weston Airport.
The transition signifies the end of 27 years of Coast Guard helicopter services operating out of Dublin Airport. The new contract with Bristow includes the addition of fixed-wing aircraft, which will expand the Coast Guard’s capabilities across areas such as environmental monitoring and aerial firefighting.
Sean Canney TD, Minister of State with responsibility for the Irish Coast Guard, thanked CHC Ireland, including their flight crews and support teams, for the service they’ve provided from Dublin Airport down through the years.
“CHC’s world class lifesaving operation has delivered an invaluable service to the Irish people. The Weston base will now provide Bristow Ireland with excellent facilities to enable them deliver safe and effective Coast Guard services,” the Minister noted.
Bristow flight crews have been conducting regular training on board the new Leonardo AW189 helicopters at the headquarters at Weston (located on the Celbridge-Lucan border in West Dublin) in advance of the rollout of the service. Initial operations are being carried out by a Bristow transition team who had managed the handover at the Shannon base.
The Dublin-based CHC staff who have transferred to Bristow Ireland have started training on the new fleet of AW189 helicopters. The Weston-based AW189 helicopter, which replaces the Sikorsky S92 operated by CHC, will continue to use the call sign ‘Rescue 116’.
Meanwhile, the handover of the other bases at Sligo and Waterford airports is ongoing, with Bristow working with CHC to ensure a smooth transition.
