Offshore drilling creates need for helicopter

New Delhi: Global Vectra Helicorp, India's biggest helicopter charter company, will spend $103 million to buy new helicopters to meet rising demand for transportation to offshore drilling platforms.
Global Vectra will buy 11 helicopters in two years, Ravinder Rishi, chairman of the company's parent Vectra Group, said in an interview in New Delhi. Global will buy five Eurocopter helicopters from European Aeronautic Defence & Space and six from Textron's Bell unit, he said.
Indian helicopter operators are expanding as Reliance Industries, Oil & Natural Gas and other oil companies step up exploration in the country.
BP, Total and other oil companies are increasing exploration in India to fuel expansion in the world's second-fastest growing major economy. That is spawning demand for helicopters that are used to fly engineers to the offshore rigs.
Deccan Aviation, which runs India's biggest low-fare airline, plans to buy more helicopters and Kingfisher Airlines will start a new unit to cater to these needs.
India's government plans to permit more overseas companies to set up helicopter businesses in the country.
Global Vectra will buy five Eurocopter helicopters for €42.5 million, or $56 million, and six Bell helicopters for $46.8 million, Rishi said.
19/02/07 Santanu Choudhury/Bloomberg News/International Herald Tribune, France

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Categories: General Aviation feb 2007