Pawan Hans Acquires Six Sikorsky S-76D Helicopters On Lease For Offshore Operations

Pawan Hans, the market leader in helicopter operations in India on March 24 announced an agreement to lease six Sikorsky S-76D helicopters from The Milestone Aviation Group to support its operations for offshore oil and gas installations. 

The lease, which introduces the iconic American helicopter into the Indian market, will be integral to Pawan Hans’ contract with the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) that requires two S-76D helicopters to be flown for the latter’s offshore missions. 

The lease agreement was announced during the ongoing Wings India event in Hyderabad.  

Besides the six helicopters, Milestone and Sikorsky – a Lockheed Martin company – will also be providing a sustainment package for the operation of the new fleet. Five of the six helicopters have already been delivered to Pawan Hans. 

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman and Managing Director of Pawan Hans Sanjeev Razdan termed the S-76D as “the ideal aircraft to support our offshore operations in South Asia”. 

“Pawan Hans is playing a pivotal role in bringing next-generation helicopter operations to the Indian market,” Razdan said of the medium, twin-engined S-76D, adding that “the helicopter has been launched with a completely new maintenance and support philosophy”. 

Bill Blair, Chief Executive Lockheed Martin India, expressed excitement at the S-76D making its debut in India. “Selection of these advanced aircraft combined with Sikorsky's support services will ensure high availability rates for customers that rightly demand reliability and performance and are aligned with Lockheed Martin's focus on such an important region,” he said.

The lease company Milestone promises that its tailor-made value package for Pawan Hans will be a key differentiator. “The Milestone team has worked hard to put together a comprehensive value package….and illustrates the depth of service capability that we offer,” Michael York, Head of Emerging Markets at Milestone, said on the occasion. 

More than 875 S-76 choppers are flown in more than 40 countries across six continents, fulfilling diverse missions in varied environmental conditions. 

With a fleet of 42 helicopters, Pawan Hans, a PSU under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, is seeking to play a bigger role in the Regional Connectivity Scheme through the Schedule Commuter Permit. It has ambitious plans to add small fixed-wing and Seaplanes to its operations.  

Milestone Aviation Group is the world’s leading helicopter leasing and financing company. It has over 40 customers in more than 35 countries, serving a variety of industries including offshore oil and gas, search and rescue, emergency medical services, police surveillance, mining and other utility missions.  

It's parent company AerCap is the global leader in aviation leasing, with a 300-strong customer base across the world.