One issue that has bedevilled the offshore transportation segment over the past 12 months is the grounding of Eurocopter's EC225.
The flight suspension of the offshore workhorse has been in place since last October, when a Super Puma operated by CHC Scotia (G-CHCN) was ditched in the North Sea after the catastrophic failure of a gearbox component.
This was the second such incident in less than six months after a Bond Helicopters-operated Super Puma (G-REDW) was forced down in similar circumstances in May.
Following the second ditching, the UK's Civil Aviation Authority immediately banned overwater flights with the type, and regulators in Norway and Denmark swiftly followed suit. Operators too withdrew EC225s from service in other countries, leading to the grounding of around two-thirds of the global fleet, according to Eurocopter's estimates.
The effects on Eurocopter can be seen in its first-quarter 2013 results, with revenue and profit both dragged down on the back of the Super Puma crisis as deliveries slowed and turnover was not generated from power-by-the-hour support deals and other maintenance activities.
Eurocopter vice-president global business and services Dominique Maudet describes the grounding as "a big issue" for the airframer. "It has really impacted our reputation," he says. "That is why we are working really hard to fix this."
Although the effects have largely been negative - not least that the AgustaWestland AW139 and Sikorsky S-92 have benefited from the EC225's absence - Maudet can see an upside from what he calls Eurocopter's "professional" approach to resolving the issue.
"Our reputation has been hurt, but the way we have handled it has been appreciated," he claims.
Although Eurocopter believes it has discovered the root cause for the cracking of the bevel gear vertical shaft in the EC225 - manufacturing stress, fatigue and corrosion - and has devised both temporary and permanent fixes for the issue, it is waiting for EASA to approve its proposals.
"We believe we have clearly understood the root cause and have a road map to return the helicopter to flight," says Maudet.
He declines to be drawn on the exact timeframe to roll out its temporary solution other than to say "around summer-time", but evidence from operators hints that the components required should begin to be shipped in the coming weeks.
Eurocopter's determination to solve the crisis appears to have been reinforced by the arrival of its new chief executive Guillaume Faury, a former EC225 programme chief, who took over the post at the beginning of May.
"He is focused on customer confidence and the performance of Eurocopter," says Maudet. "In that respect, the EC225 fix is the number one priority for him and the company."
Source: Flight International
