THE DEPARTMENT of Transport has signed a contract with Bristow Ireland Limited to provide the Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) Search and Rescue Aviation Service, including three aircraft at Shannon Airport.

Under the terms of the contract the company will operate six helicopters and two fixed-wing planes 24/7 from four bases across Ireland - Sligo, Shannon, Waterford and Dublin Weston Airport.

For the past decade, another company - CHC Ireland - has operated the SAR contract but following a competitive tender process, Bristow Ireland Limited was selected, earlier this year, as the preferred bidder for the contract, which is worth around €700 million.

The new contract, which will be fully in place by next July, will see it provide a range of essential state services, with Bristow Ireland Limited operating six AW189 helicopters and two King Air fixed-wing aircraft.

Commenting following the signing of the contracts, Alan Corbett, Bristow's Chief Operating Officer, Government Services said: “The entire team at Bristow Ireland Limited is honoured to be chosen to deliver this critical and life-saving public service for the people of Ireland. We will provide a safe, dependable, and innovative service that will deliver world-class search and rescue across the country.”

Bristow Ireland Limited announced today it has signed a 10-year contract with the Irish Department of Transport to deliver search and rescue (SAR) aviation services on behalf of the Irish Coast Guard.



Read more here: https://t.co/GvfgXP7qTJ pic.twitter.com/UiPNMFCahY — Bristow Group (@Bristow_Group) August 22, 2023

In an expansion to the current aviation service for the Coast Guard, two King Air fixed-wing aircraft will provide support for Coast Guard search and rescue operations and environmental monitoring. Both planes will be based at Shannon Airport.

The 10-year contract has options to extend an additional three years, allowing for a total of 13 years for these new aviation services.

Under the new contract, Bristow will create or sustain more than 150 jobs in Ireland, ranging from specialist ground support, engineering, flight operations, and in-country maintenance and support capabilities.