In a ceremony yesterday at its Heli-Expo show exhibit, Sikorsky recognized National Helicopter Services Ltd. (NHSL) of Trinidad and Tobago, one year after the company became the first S-76D operator to enter service. Over the past 12 months, NHSL has averaged more than 100 flight hours a month on the rotorcraft, which is on lease from Milestone Aviation Group. The company has since obtained three additional S-76Ds (two purchased outright, the third leased from Macquarie Group), designating it as the largest operator of the type.
Trinidad and Tobago’s government also recently acquired its own, which is maintained by NHSL and is used for national security and emergency evacuations, making the Caribbean nation the “S-76D capital of the world,” according to Shane Eddy, Sikorsky’s president of commercial systems and services. “The performance of this aircraft, and the demanding pace and environments in which NHSL has operated it, speak to the aircraft’s reliability and performance and to NHSL’s commitment to its customers,” said Eddy.
Joshey Mahabir, NHSL’s CEO and general manager, noted the 37-year affiliation between the two companies, stating that last year NHSL retired an S-76A++ which had more than 15,000 hours and was still flying more than 100 hours a month until the end. “A true testament to the reliability and value of the S-76 aircraft,” he told the audience. Throughout its history, the company has logged more than 100,000 flight hours in S-76 family aircraft. Counting the newest, it currently has 13 in its fleet, which are now supported by a new terminal and hangars.
