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Luxaviation to manage helicopter services onboard Ultramarine

Luxaviation Helicopters and its dedicated VIP helicopter management company Starspeed have been selected by Quark Expeditions to manage helicopter services onboard the new polar vessel, Ultramarine

Quark Expeditions is based in Seattle, WA, and Ultramarine is its first new-build polar vessel. The agreement between the two companies for 2021 focuses on exclusive polar adventures to the Arctic and Antarctic regions starting with two twin-engine helicopters. Starspeed is an experienced operator with a global network and a leader in the field of maritime aviation services.

Maritime Aviation, led by Managing Director Jonathan Turner, have been involved with the project since October 2019 and oversaw the tender process for the helicopter operator selection. Maritime Aviation continues to provide technical heliport consultancy to the project and will deliver heliport safety management and crew safety training for Ultramarine to ensure the ship provides a safe, compliant, and efficient operating environment for Starspeed.

“We are looking forward to partnering up with one of the world’s largest and most experienced private aircraft operators,” said Andrew White, President of Quark Expeditions. “Having a global leader in commercial helicopter operations as a partner will not only further increase our guests’ outstanding travel experience on our game-changing vessel, Ultramarine, it will also provide them with optimized travel security.”

Starspeed will manage and operate two twin-engine aircraft and provide a crew of four pilots, two engineers, as well as back-up crews. Based onboard the ship, each helicopter will be operating from its own purpose-built shipboard heliport that will undertake a range of tasks in remote areas from guest transfers, sightseeing and adventure activities, ice and wildlife reconnaissance and medical evacuation.

“The partnership with Quark Expeditions is a logical consequence of our global maritime helicopter experience,” said Charlotte Pedersen, CEO of Luxaviation Helicopters. “We are enthused to provide our helicopter management services to a company which has been the leading provider of polar adventure travel for three decades.”