North Sea operator NHV has reached 3,000 flight hours with its H175 fleet after little more than a year flying the type for oil and gas offshore transportation. In early February the first H175 which entered service with NHV in December 2014 reached the 1,000 hour mark.

“This milestone was easily achieved thanks to the exceptional availability of the aircraft, which is close to 95 per cent,” says CEO Eric Van Hal. “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 super medium rotorcraft and has since taken delivery of six units out of an order for 16. 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, NHV's fleet of H175s has completed 1,500 flights and carried approximately 22,000 passengers.

Despite the challenging market, 2015 proved to be a successful year for the type as it registered 36 orders, including interest from oil and gas companies Milestone and Bristow. During the last 12 months, the capabilities of the aircraft have been expanded through a flight envelope extension in hot and high conditions.