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The Helicopter Company signs HCare contract for fleet of 20 H145s
November 10, 2022 By Helicopters Staff
The Helicopter Company was launched in 2019 and, before its H145 commitment, previously ordered 10 H125s and six ACH160 Airbus helicopters. (Photo: Airbus) The Helicopter Company (THC), established by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) as the first helicopter services provider licensed to operate commercial flights in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has signed an HCare In-Service contract to cover its fleet of 20 five-bladed H145 helicopters.
The fleet of H145s was ordered in December 2021 and will be deployed across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). Five of the helicopters have been delivered and the remaining 15 are expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
Airbus explains the HCare In-Service package has been tailored to THC’s specific operational needs, providing them with parts availability by-the-hour services to optimise the fleet’s maintenance and performance.
“In our mission to enhance the aviation environment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the maintenance and usage of our fleet must be optimised for the long-term,” said Capt. Arnaud Martinez, CEO of THC. “Our decisions to streamline maintenance services with an HCare In-Service contract covers this requirement and has been tailored to meet our specific mission needs.”
Launching its services in 2019, THC was established by PIF as part of its strategy to activate new sectors in Saudi Arabia that support the realisation of Vision 2030 and generate long-term commercial returns, while meeting the growing demand for luxury tourism and air travel services. THC previously signed agreements to buy 10 Airbus H125s, and six ACH160 helicopters to increase access to domestic tourism destinations and provide services such as filming and aerial surveying.
HCare In-Service is described by Airbus as one of the three solutions included in the new HCare offer, which also includes HCare Initial and HCare Lifetime. For specific fleets, HCare First is available for Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH) aircraft and HCare Classics for the out-of-production legacy fleet (H120, Dauphin, Puma and Gazelle).
“Providing flexible services that boost the performance and safety of each individual customer’s operations, while streamlining costs, is the main mission behind the newly-launched suite of HCare support & services packages,” said Christoph Zammert, Executive Vice President of Customer Support & Services at Airbus Helicopters. “The Part-By-the-Hour solution will cover all scheduled and unscheduled maintenance events for THC’s entire fleet of H145s in one single contract.”
