Bristow Ireland says it has reached a “major milestone” with Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) approval for its new base a Weston Airport.
The company, which was awarded the new Irish Coast Guard search and rescue helicopter contract, has opted to relocate the Dublin airport helicopter base to Weston on the Kildare border.
Bristow Ireland says that the IAA has granted part 145 approval for the base.
“The accreditation, achieved after months of hard work, confirms that the team and the facility meet or exceed all the standards for maintenance, repairs and inspections for the AW189 helicopter, which will be phased-in to deliver lifesaving search and rescue operations under the new contract for the Irish Coast Guard, “the company says.
“It gives the Bristow Ireland engineers at Weston Airport the authority to carry out critical engineering and maintenance operations,”it says.
“They are cleared to complete all the essential tasks which will keep the new helicopter fleet flying safe, day and night, as the transition period begins,”it added.
“This accreditation is particularly noteworthy as it not only covers line maintenance – when helicopters are inspected and routine maintenance is carried out on a daily basis – it also covers base maintenance, when aircraft undergo much deeper and more significant scheduled work, so Bristow Ireland can carry out major repairs and modifications at the Weston base,”it says.
“I’m immensely proud of everyone who has worked so hard to get to this stage and make Part 145 approval in Ireland a reality,” John Keane, Part 145 Maintenance Manager for Bristow Ireland, said.
Keane and Bristow Ireland Chief Engineer Enda McNeill started on the project five months ago, the company says.
“It was a demanding timeframe but with the support of the wider team we made it happen. Now we are ready for the arrival of the first aircraft,”they state.
Bristow Ireland director Philip Bartlett said “This is a significant moment in our support for the future of search and rescue in Ireland”.
“It falls right on-schedule as we look towards phasing in new bases, new aircraft and new technology over the managed transition period,”it says, paying tribute to the team and the IAA for its “continued and ongoing support”.