Omni Taxi Aereo, a Brazilian affiliate of Omni Helicopters International Group, has been selected by Equinor Brazil to operate a new contract providing helicopter services for the energy company’s offshore activities at the Bacalhau field, located in the Santos Basin, off the coast of Brazil. The basin, currently under full development, will host one of the largest FPSO (floating production storage and offloading) units in the world, with a production capacity of up to 220,000 barrels of oil per day.

Founded in December 2000, Omni Taxi Aereo is a leader in offshore air transportation in Latin America, offering high capacity to serve clients in the oil and gas and energy markets. It offers crew change services, emergency medical services, fire fighting, search and rescue operations, as well as specialised cargo transport services in remote and challenging locations.

Operations for the new contract will be conducted from Omni Taxi Aereo’s base at Jacarepaguá airport in Rio de Janeiro.

Omni will deploy three helicopters to fulfil this contract: a heavy helicopter model, the Sikorsky S92, and two super-medium aircraft, the Leonardo AW189 and Airbus H175 models. Super-medium aircraft models are recognised for their modernity, comfort and efficiency, offering a reduction of approximately 25 per cent in CO2 emissions compared to larger helicopters. Omni is the only company in Brazil operating the AW189 and H175 models.

“The inclusion of such a prestigious client as Equinor, well known worldwide for its safety standards, is a recognition of our teams’ commitment to constantly improving procedures and increasing the safety and quality standards of our services,” says commercial director Décio Galvão.

Omni is the only Brazilian civil operator authorised by ANAC to hoist people with a winch. Besides Brazil, the OHI Group offers this service in Guyana, with a Sikorsky S92 aircraft dedicated to SAR missions.