The Irish Coast Guard has offered a glimpse of its new look for its new aircraft fleet.
The new 10-year contract was awarded to Bristow Ireland Limited (BIL) by the Department of Transport in August 2023 and provides for year-round, day and night Search and Rescue helicopter services.
This service will be delivered through a fleet of six search and rescue helicopters located in Sligo, Dublin, Shannon and Waterford.
For the first time, the Irish Coast Guard will also have dedicated Fixed Wing service.
It’s set to enhance the Coast Guard’s capacity to coordinate Search and Rescue missions and conduct environmental and ship casualty monitoring of Ireland’s Exclusive Economic Zone, an area encompassing approximately 132,000 square miles.
The new service will be introduced gradually over a phased basis with particular attention being paid to enable a smooth transition from the current operator to Bristow Ireland Limited.
The transition to the new service is set to begin in late 2024.
