BP transfers flights north
Offshore flights run by BP have been transferred to Sumburgh Airport from Aberdeen after helicopter operators Bond grounded their Aberdeen-based fleet.
All Super Puma helicopters across Europe have been grounded to have safety checks done to their gear boxes, following the catastrophic failure that caused the crash in the North Sea on 1st April in which 16 men died.
Following this decision, BP contracted British International Helicopters to use a Sikorsky S61 to fly to its west of Shetland fields, Foinaven, Schiehallion and Clair.
The helicopter is doing four rotations a day.
Meanwhile fixed wing operations are being taken care of by Eastern Airways, which is carrying out three rotations per day.
Sumburgh Airport manager Nigel Flaws said he expected the situation to last between 10 and 14 days, and would not interfere with scheduled flights.
