Thai

Thai Aviation Services has selected Lockheed Martin Company affiliate Sikorsky to renew its current fleet of commercial helicopters in order to provide related services in the Gulf of Thailand.

With the new Sikorsky fleet of five S-76 D medium lift and two S-92 heavy lift aircraft, Thai Aviation intends to offer safe helicopter transportation to oil and gas customers based in the region.

Six older models of S-76 aircraft and two S-92 aircraft currently operated by Thai Aviation Services will be replaced.

Deliveries of the new helicopters are expected to start in the third quarter of this year and will continue through early next year.

"We look forward to strengthening our long-standing relationship with Sikorsky in order to continue the TAS tradition of exceeding our customers’ expectations in South East Asia."

Thai Aviation Services operations deputy managing director and S-92 chief pilot Craig Havas said: "Thai Aviation Services, as the market leader in offshore helicopter support services in South East Asia, demands the highest levels of safety, reliability and aircraft availability from our fleet.

"The Sikorsky fleet option, consisting of the S-76D and the S-92 helicopters, provides us with all of these aspects, in addition to a cost-effective and operationally seamless transition from our current fleet.

"We look forward to strengthening our long-standing relationship with Sikorsky in order to continue the TAS tradition of exceeding our customers’ expectations in South East Asia."

Similar to the S-76 family of aircraft in terms of external size and shape, the S-76D helicopter are certified to accommodate 12 passengers in airline layout, or five to eight in executive configuration.

Claimed to achieve cruise speeds at lower power settings than its S-76 family predecessors, the S-76D series come with the ability to operate in all weather conditions, and feature a new tail rotor design combined with aerodynamic airframe and four-axis autopilot system.

Since 2004, the larger S-92 helicopter has been mainly used in offshore operations, accounting for more than 950,000 flight hours by the offshore community on a global fleet of 275 aircraft.

The S-92 cabin can accommodate up to 19 passengers in airline configuration.

Meanwhile, Sikorsky has announced a programme for the operators to upgrade their S-76C+TM aircraft to the S-76C++TM configuration.

The upgrade expects to increases performance abilities, including better take-off and cruising power.

Image: The new fleet replaces six older model S-76 aircraft and two S-92 aircraft currently operated by Thai Aviation Services. Photo: courtesy of Lockheed Martin Corporation.