US offshore operator Air Logistics has ordered 14 Bell 206L-4 LongRanger light single-turbine helicopters under a five-year, $150 million fleet renewal programme launched in February with an order for 15 Sikorsky S-76C+ medium twins (Flight International, 11-17 February). Deliveries of the LongRangers, for offshore oil support operations in the Gulf of Mexico, will begin in the second quarter and continue into 2005. Headquartered in New Iberia, Louisiana, and with operations in Brazil, Mexico and Nigeria, Air Logistics has a fleet of more than 90 Bell 206s, including 206L-4s. S-76C+ deliveries are under way at a rate of three a year and will continue into 2006. The Sikorsky contract includes options for up to 15 additional aircraft over the same period. Air Logistics also has the option to trade in up to three older S-76A/A+ helicopters a year for the next three years to offset the cost of the new machines.
Source: Flight International
