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British International Helicopter Services Limited (BIH), owned by Rigby Group PLC, is the largest British-owned helicopter operator and the only domestically-held company in the UK's offshore helicopter / EMS sector. It operates a fleet of 25 helicopters covering offshore and defence, engineering, charter and flying training activities from its bases at Newquay, Redhill, Coventry, Cardiff and Enniskillen. It operates from Newquay using two Eurocopter AS 365N2 Dauphin helicopters on behalf of the Royal Navy Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) based at HMS Drake in HMNB Devonport. A Sikorsky S-61 helicopter is also used on occasions for FOST duties. BIH also operates two Sikorsky S-61 helicopters from RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands, where they are used for everyday military transport and land logistic support around the islands, where there are few roads and a 12-mile strip of sea separating the two main islands. Cardiff Heliport operator Veritair functions as BIH’s utilities division, servicing an operational workload that includes Police and Air Ambulance capability, commercial helicopter support including surveying, pipeline patrols, TV mast calibration, load lifting, forestry and national park services and film work. London Helicopter Centres, based at Redhill, maintains BIH’s VIP and commercial charter business, flight training for both commercial and private pilots and helicopter engineering across a wide range of helicopter types. A sightseeing and tours business, The London Helicopter, flies from Battersea and Redhill. British International (as Veritair Limited) formerly held a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence, which permitted it to carry passengers, cargo, and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats.〔(Operating Licence )〕 == History == The company was originally British Airways Helicopters until its privatisation in September 1986, when it was sold to publisher Robert Maxwell and subsequently renamed to British International Helicopters (BIH). In 1993 CHC Helicopter acquired 40% of BIH's voting shares, and raised their shareholding to 90% within a year. BIH became the UK subsidiary of CHC, as Brintel Helicopters Limited. In October 1996 Brintel acquired the Cardiff-based Veritair Limited. The current incarnation of the company was formed in 2000 with the backing of 3i Group PLC and the Bank of Scotland, through a management buy in of the non-oil related operations of Scotia Helicopters and CHC Helicopter, with the Bank of Scotland providing funding of £22million. In 2006, BIH finalised a secondary management buy-out financed by a syndicate of investors led by Matrix Private Equity Partners, with the backing of Finance Cornwall and Chrysalis Venture Capital Trust. As a result of the loss of a South Wales Police helicopter air support contract, the business of British International at Cardiff was sold in May 2008 to the management team led by Captain Julian Verity. The new company Heli Charter Wales Limited is trading as Veritair Aviation. Veritair Limited changed its name to British International Helicopter Services Limited in October 2008.〔(Companies House – English Company 02575976 )〕 In June 2013, the company was acquired by The Rigby Group PLC subsidiary Patriot Aerospace to supplement its existing aviation activities. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「British International Helicopters」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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