News
TAS S-76D fleet hits 10,000 hours in record time
August 8, 2018 By Helicopters Staff
Thai Aviation Services has accumulated 10,000 flight hours on its S-76D fleet in what Sikorsky describes as a record time of less than two years. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, continues to explain this milestone was achieved just a few months after Thai Aviation Services (TAS) began operating as Sikorsky’s first Customer Support Center in Thailand.
The Sikorsky S-76D global fleet has amassed more than 7.25 million total flight hours. (Photo: Ned Dawson) “Sikorsky is extremely proud to provide TAS with safe, reliable aircraft to support such a high operational tempo with first-rate availability,” said Audrey Brady, Sikorsky vice president of Commercial Systems & Services, noting the Thai operator has used Sikorsky aircraft exclusively for more than three decades. TAS focuses on working with offshore operations for oil and gas producing companies.
Today, TAS operates eight Sikorsky helicopters, including: five S-76D medium-lift helicopters, two S-92 heavy-lift helicopters and one S-76C++ helicopter. The private operator has more than 70 pilots and 60 aircraft engineers. TAS forecasts it will fly its 100,000th S-76D revenue passenger later this fall.
Since 1977, Sikorsky has delivered more than 875 S-76 helicopters to customers around the world. The offshore oil transportation sector accounts for 65 percent of the more than 7.25 million hours flown by the entire Sikorsky S-76 fleet, which is also often used for VIP transportation and utility work, search and rescue operations, and air ambulance transportation.
