UK helicopter operator Bond Air Services has moved into its £1 million national headquarters at Gloucestershire Airport.

The custom-built facility includes a major helicopter maintenance, logistics and technical support centre with an adjacent office complex housing the administration, finance and sales departments. Initially 35 staff will be employed at the HQ, the majority of whom have been recruited locally.

Peter Bond, executive chairman, said: “Our new headquarters are ideally located to support our existing customers and further growth. We fully evaluated a number of locations in central and southern England and chose Gloucestershire because of the ideal site offered at the airport’s central location with its excellent communication links.”

The headquarters completes a major development phase for the company over the last two years which has seen major contracts extended, helicopter business added and the introduction of the next generation EC135 into the fleet. The first six of these are already in service on long term contracts to police and ambulance services in Scotland and England with a further nine EC135s due to be delivered by the manufacturer, Eurocopter, under a £40 million contract.

Bond is also planning a second development phase to its facility within the next two years to house increased maintenance services and to bring in its turboprop and jet fixed-wing charter and operating interests.

Meanwhile, due to increasing speculation, the company has

issued a statement regarding its intentions to re-enter the North Sea helicopter market.

Bond confirms it has received a number of approaches from oil companies enquiring as to the possibility of returning to the North Sea helicopter market. As a result, it has decided to investigate these demands for the establishment of a third offshore helicopter operator in both the northern and southern North Sea markets.

As a first step, joint owners Stephen and Peter Bond have formed Bond Offshore Helicopters Limited, and established an Aberdeen office. Preliminary discussions are taking place with certain oil companies and helicopter manufacturers for helicopter types suitable for offshore support services. The availability of airport facilities is also being evaluated.

These moves follow the completion of a two-year non-competition agreement with Scotia Helicopters. During this period the Bonds had agreed to stay out of the North Sea market as a condition of their purchase in July 1999 of Bond Air Services.

Peter Bond commented: “We are delighted with the development of our business over the last two years. The company contains a large number of ex Bond Helicopter management and employees which provides us with a solid background of North Sea experience that can be used in the development of Bond Offshore Helicopters.”