BBC News Online: UK: Scotland

Merger brings helicopter jobs cut

British International and Bond are combining their operations after the merger of their two parent companies.

BIH and Bond employ about 800 staff in Aberdeen.

The companies say they expect 71 permanent and 23 temporary positions to be lost by early November.

BIH is owned by the Canadian Helicopter Corporation, which is taking over the North Sea's biggest support company, Helicopter Services Group, based in Norway.

The Norwegians run BIH's rival company Bond Helicopters.

CHC has said it plans to dispose of "surplus" helicopters which are unnecessary for the combined operations.

Bond Helicopters is the second-largest company in the Helicopter Services Group. It operates a total of 43 helicopters and employs 587 in the UK.

British International Helicopters' lost out in 1998 to another rival, Bristow Helicopters, in a £225m North Sea contract to serve Shell Expro's North Sea installations.

All three helicopter companies working out of Aberdeen have been affected by the fluctuations in world oil prices.

Relevant Stories

Helicopter merger moves nearer (02 Jul 99 | The Company File)
Helicopter deal lifting off (11 Jun 99 | The Company File)

Internet Links

Canadian Helicopter Corporation
Helicopter Services Group
British Airports Authority - Aberdeen
Shell

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