Air Greenland has ordered two Airbus H225 heavy helicopters to support its bid to win its home country's search and rescue (SAR) contract. Under the terms of a firm contract assisted by Airbus Helicopters, two H225s repurposed from the oil and gas industry will be delivered over the coming months to replace its last remaining S-61 helicopter currently used for the service. Airbus will provide a comprehensive maintenance and support package as well as pilot and crew training.

Airbus Helicopters head of Europe region Olivier Michalon says: “We are proud that the deployment of the H225 will help ensure the safety of global maritime traffic transiting the Greenland-Iceland gap to and from the Arctic region.”

The 11-tonne category, twin engine H225 is the latest and largest member of the Super Puma family, with more powerful engines providing a smoother ride and enhanced performance compared to earlier models. It has accumulated more than 600,000 flight hours out of more than 5.5 million flight hours recorded by the Super Puma family. Equipped with state-of-the-art electronic instruments and a four-axis autopilot system, it offers outstanding endurance and fast cruise speed, and can be fitted with a wide range of SAR equipment. Operated by two pilots, it can be configured with up to 18 seats or six stretchers and has all-weather capability including full anti-icing.

Air Greenland CEO Jacob Nitter Sørensen adds: “These two specific aircraft have low numbers of flight hours and their remarkable capability on SAR operations ensures that they will be able to provide a highly effective service in that role for many years to come.”