Firm scraps Super Puma oil rig flights

Operator CHC will no longer fly Super Puma H225 helicopters – the type involved in the fatal Norway crash in April – from its Aberdeen base.

CHC said the decision was “based on customer demand” and would only change at the request of customers.

The aircraft and a second Super Puma model are grounded under a European Aviation Safety Agency directive issued six days ago.

The no fly order was made after investigators examining the wreckage of the Super Puma H225 which crashed in Norway, killing 13 people, found signs of metal fatigue in the gearbox.

A CHC spokeswoman said: “CHC is committed to having a resilient, mixed fleet that provides the right aircraft at the right time to meet our customers’ helicopter service requirements.

“In Scotland, over the past few weeks, we have engaged closely with our H225 customers about the immediate term but also looking forward to the future.

“As a service provider to our customers, we must understand, accept and respond to their operational requirements and wishes,” she said.

The operator does not fly the aircraft from its other UK bases.