After little more than one year of operations, NHV have reached 3,000 flight hours with their H175 fleet, demonstrating the aircraft’s mission capability and reliability in oil and gas offshore transportation. Early February, the first H175 that entered service in December 2014, reached the 1,000 flight-hour milestone.
“This milestone was easily achieved thanks to the exceptional availability of the aircraft, which is close to 95%” said Eric Van Hal, CEO of NHV Group. “The H175 has proven to be a highly reliable aircraft. I am happy to say that the helicopter really keeps its promises, allowing us to meet the needs of our customers”.
NHV was the launch customer for the new super medium helicopter and has since taken delivery of six aircraft out of 16 on order. The H175 is currently in operation at two of NHV’s bases in the demanding North Sea environment: Den Helder in the Netherlands and Aberdeen in northern Scotland. So far, the NHV fleet of H175s has completed 1,500 flights and carried approximately 22,000 passengers.
“Since its entry into service, the H175 has been proving its value and high availability every day with our launch customer NHV, which generated a lot of attention for this helicopter” said Guillaume Faury, President and CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “Thanks to its endurance, flexibility, high level of safety, excellent payload and cost-effectiveness, we are shaping the future of the market with the H175”.
Despite the challenging market environment, 2015 proved to be a successful year for the H175 which registered 36 orders and was endorsed by key oil and gas players such as Milestone and Bristow. During the last 12 months, the capabilities of the aircraft have also been expanded through a flight envelope extension in hot and high conditions. The Public Services version was also launched last year thanks to a 7-unit order from Hong Kong operator GFS, with deliveries planned in 2017.
In 2016, the H175 will be deployed in the Gulf of Mexico for Oil and Gas operations by the Mexican customer Pegaso. This year will also see the entry into service of the VIP variant introducing new mission capabilities, as well as the certification of SAR modes. The maximum take-off weight (MTOW) extension will be increased to 7800 kg, offering customers a 300 kg payload gain or an increased radius of action of 40 nautical miles.
This year’s Heli-Expo visitors will have the opportunity to experience a virtual ride aboard the H175. A 360º video will take them inside the cockpit next to the pilot to enjoy a smooth flight inside the cabin, or to discover the high-end cabin interior of the executive version.
