Both Santos and Pacific Helicopters (PHL) have taken delivery of an H145D3 helicopter on lease from LCI. The placement with Santos represents LCI's first ever direct lease to an end-user.

Santos is a global energy company with operations across Australia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and the US. PHL is the leading provider of helicopter services for energy, mining, construction and telecommunications companies in Papua New Guinea, and will operate both aircraft on behalf of Santos subsidiary Oil Search.

The two new helicopters will be leased from LCI's joint venture with Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Company. They have been delivered in recent weeks on long term leases and will support liquid natural gas and other energy facilities in Papua New Guinea with a significant export content to Japan. The helicopters will also support Santos Foundation activities in Papua New Guinea and its work to build resilient communities.

Michael Sleightholme, aviation manager EA/PNG of Santos, says: “LCI's wide ranging experience and bespoke approach made it a natural partner for a direct lease, and the helicopters are already bringing greater efficiency, performance and reliability to our operations.”

Eddie Matane, PHL CEO, adds: “LCI's proven track record supporting energy operations across the globe made it a natural choice as a leasing partner. The new and versatile helicopters will help enable us to deliver reliable and efficient operations in Papua New Guinea.”

LCI CCO Nigel Leishman says: “We welcome this new partnership with Santos and Pacific Helicopters, and are excited to support their operations in Papua New Guinea. This transaction demonstrates that end users of helicopters can step into leases, thus benefitting from our availability and efficiencies directly.”

PHL has supported and engaged Papua New Guinea nationals since its inception, employing over 160 people and creating opportunities for locals to become pilots and engineers. PHL adheres to international safety standards and provides reliable and secure aerial solutions in challenging environments.

The Airbus H145D3 is the quietest helicopter in its class and has a proven track record of performance, capability and flexibility. Its combination of a small footprint and a large, flexible cabin make it well-suited for a broad variety of missions.