Equinor has awarded Lufttransport RW AS a seven-year assignment to transport passengers from Sola and Florø on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) using five new AW189s.
This follows an agreement in 2024 for Equinor to acquire 15 new helicopters, consisting of the five Leonardos and 10 Bell 525s, which are expected to start operating from 2026. Lessor Milestone Aviation Group will assume ownership of the AW189s upon delivery as part of an agreement with Equinor. The first two AW189s will arrive in Norway in Spring 2025 and enter operations over the summer and autumn, followed by the remaining three in 2026.
“The safety of our employees who travel by helicopter is our utmost priority. New helicopters will make helicopter traffic more robust. Safe, predictable and efficient transportation is crucial to safely maintain a high activity level on the NCS for many years to come,” said Ørjan Kvelvane, Equinor’s Senior Vice President of Operation and Maintenance in Exploration & Production, Norway (EPN). “Lufttransport is the operator with the most experience with Leonardo helicopters in Norway, which is an advantage as we introduce these new helicopters.”
Lufttransport has longstanding experience in navigating the challenges of Norway and has a strong safety record. Along with passenger transportation, the company will also provide Search and Rescue (SAR) operations for Equinor from early 2026.
“Through this agreement, we’ve secured long-term rights to manage these helicopters ourselves, and the contract with Lufttransport gives us a third operator for shuttle services on the NCS, alongside CHC and Bristow,” commented Mette Ottøy, Equinor’s Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Management. “We’ve managed to put a set of innovative agreements in place to ensure that we have good technical solutions that provide more robust operations.”
The NCS has strict requirements for helicopter operators, with all companies requiring approval from the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority to conduct SAR and passenger flights. Annually, there are around 160,000 round trips to and from the NCS, amounting to over 24,000 flight hours. Since 2016, Equinor has been using S-92s for NCS missions and services.
Photo: Leonardo
