Norwegian maritime pilot contract to Airlift

The Norwegian helicopter company Airlift AS has been awarded a nation-wide maritime pilot contract by the Norwegian Coastal Administration (Kystverket). The contract will be valid for six years from 1 July 2017, with an option for ten more years. Brand new AW169 helicopters will be used to transfer maritime pilots back and forth between the mainland and large ships along the Norwegian coastline.

- We will get a safe and good helicopter services with this agreement, at a lower price than we have today. This is something that I'm very pleased with, says pilot director Erik Blom at the Norwegian Coastal Administration.

Airlift is glad for the new contract that has been signed:
- Airlift is grateful for the confidence placed in us through the awarding of this contract. The contract is one of the largest in the company's nearly 30-year history. For us this is an important step in our plans for further growth and expansion, says Stian Hårklau, CEO of Airlift AS.

The current operator, Norwegian Lufttransport, will maintain its current maritime pilot transfer operations with its Dauphin helicopters until the new contract period starts.