Babcock International takes delivery of two H175s

Global offshore service provider Babcock International has taken delivery of two H175s at a ceremony in Darwin, Australia. Babcock’s aircraft are the first H175s to be introduced into the southern hemisphere and will be based in Dili, Timor Leste. The new aircraft will be used to transport personnel and provide search and rescue and medevac support in the Timor Sea, approximately 500 kilometres northwest of Darwin. Both H175s were freighted to Australia on a single Antonov cargo plane to secure their quick introduction to service on 1 January 2018. The Airbus team has worked closely with Babcock to train 27 pilots and engineers in the assembly, flight and maintenance of the H175s. Babcock will employ a further 19 Timorese to support the aircraft at their base, including four local engineers who will attend training at Airbus Helicopters’ headquarters in France in early 2018.