2013-03-27 — /travelprnews.com/ — Following yesterdays announcement by the Department of Transport that The Bristow Group will be taking over the UK’s helicopter search and rescue operations from 2015, Newquay Cornwall Airport has been confirmed as one of the 10 UK bases for the new services.
Announcing details of the new 10 year contract, the Government said that the deal would mean more helicopters would be able to reach a larger area of the UK search and rescue region within one hour of take off than is currently possible.
Under the £1.6bn 10 year contract, a total of 22 helicopters will operate from 10 locations, each of which will be operational 24 hours a day.
Welcoming the announcement, Al Titterington, Managing Director, Newquay Cornwall Airport, said “The announcement that the Search & Rescue contract has been awarded to Bristow and that the company has chosen Newquay Cornwall Airport to be one of the new SAR bases is great news for the Airport.
The decision ensures that Cornwall will continue to support SAR operations in the South West and will also create new jobs on the Airport site. This illustrates the vital importance of the Airport to Cornwall, not only for supporting business and leisure passenger services, but also demonstrates how important Newquay is to national aviation infrastructure. The new contract will bring additional income to the Airport which will help ensure that the subsidy provided by Cornwall Council continues to reduce year on year, as well as supporting job creation at Newquay and safeguarding jobs in Cornwall.”
Bristow will replace RAF and Royal Navy Sea King helicopters with Sikorsky S-92s and AgustaWestland 189’s, with two S-92’s being based at Newquay Cornwall Airport.
The move to Newquay Cornwall Airport means that Bristow will be able to take advantage of the benefits offered by the Aerohub Enterprise Zone which provides access to a range of incentives, including a relaxed planning environment and business rate relief.