Helicopters Babcock International receives first H175
Australian offshore service provider Babcock International has received its first of two H175 helicopters. The delivery ceremony was held in Darwin, Australia.
By bringing the aircraft into service, Babcock is the first operator of the H175 in the Southern Hemisphere. Babcock plans to commence operations with the H175 on January 1st, 2018.
The aircraft will be based in Dili, Timor Leste and will be used to transport personnel, as well as to provide medevac and search & rescue support in the Timor Sea (approx. 500km northwest of Darwin). A team of 27 pilots and engineers are trained to handle assembly, flight and maintenance of the H175s. To ensure smooth support for operations, Babcock will further employ 19 Timorese, which will attend training at Airbus Helicopters in France in early 2018.
Babcock transports over 9000 passengers and 30 tonnes of freight per year and said, that the H175 would be the ‘best of type’ for their requirements. By offering good single-engine performance and payload, the aircraft will support the company’s demands in offshore operations.
The H175 is capable of flying up to 270 nautical miles and features latest avionics and automation. It was designed for the oil, gas and search and rescue sectors. Recently, Airbus introduced the H175 to the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and Western Africa by delivering new aircraft.
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Source © airbus.com