Brazilian oil and gas transport company Omni Taxi Aereo, part of Omni Helicopters International group (OHI), has become the first operator to introduce the H175 in Brazil. The aircraft has arrived in the country, where it will perform cargo load and passenger transport missions for Brazil's key oil and gas industry.

“The H175 offers the right mix of comfort, performance and cost-effectiveness, and I am very pleased with the introduction of this aircraft in our fleet,” comments Roberto Coimbra, CEO of Omni Taxi Aereo. “With a range that enables us to reach 100 per cent of Brazil's offshore installations and high technology equipment on board, it is a very promising aircraft to serve the oil and gas market here.”

Omni's current fleet includes Airbus H135, H155 and H225 helicopters, which are largely dedicated to transporting passengers and cargo to offshore platforms and ships, while also providing emergency medical services for the oil and gas industry.

“Omni has been a true partner for over a decade, and I am honoured by its renewed confidence in our helicopters,” says Regis Magnac, VP of oil and gas at Airbus Helicopters. “With 40 aircraft in service having accumulated more than 85,000 flight hours, the H175 has set new standards for offshore operations across the world, and I thank Omni for introducing the aircraft to the important Brazilian oil and gas market.”

Developed to answer oil and gas industry needs, the H175 provides performance, efficiency and the ability to comfortably transport 16 passengers up to 160 nm. The model is equipped with Helionix, Airbus Helicopters' integrated suite of advanced avionics and four-axis autopilot, which offers enhanced situational awareness and improved operational safety by helping to reduce pilot workload. The aircraft also provides fully automatic oil platform approaches, thanks to the Rig'N Fly mode.