Specialist-mission helicopter operator NHV Group has announced it has seen its contract for the provision of support services for the Dutch Pilots’ Organisation extended. Under the renewed contract, NHV will continue to support maritime pilotage services in the Netherlands from its current base near Rotterdam.
The long-term contract awarded to NHV will see the operator continue to support the Dutch pilotage service from Pistoolhaven (Rotterdam) from 2025. Additionally, under the contract, NHV will replace its current fleet of Airbus Dauphin AS365N3 helicopters with new-generation Airbus H145 aircraft.
Under the agreement, NHV’s helicopter services transport shipping pilots to and from large vessels navigating through Dutch harbors, particularly during adverse weather conditions. NHV currently uses a pair of AS365 N3 Dauphins on the contract.
In a significant fleet upgrade, NHV’s Dauphin fleet will make way for two brand new state-of-the-art Airbus H145 D3 aircraft. According to an NHV statement, these helicopters provide “enhanced safety, reliability, and performance.”
“Dutch Pilots’ Organisation is pleased with the extension of our long-term collaboration in a new contract with NHV,” said Elco Oskam, Manager of Operations Rotterdam-Rijnmond region at Dutch Pilotage Service Organisation. “With a future renewal of the fleet as part of the contract we look forward to a new era in which our marine pilots are supported in their business in a safe and sustainable manner. NHV has always been a reliable partner with excellent customer focus, and we trust that this will be no different in the coming years.”
“The continuation of our successful partnership with the Dutch Pilots’ Organisation, supported by the introduction of the new fleet of aircraft, marks a significant milestone,” said Bart Sinnaeve, Director of Operations at NHV Group’s Helicopter Services and West Africa Business Unit. “We are immensely proud to have been selected by the team at Dutch Pilots’ Organisation to continue our long-term collaboration.”
The NHV Group, headquartered in Ostend Belgium, is specialized in business-to-business helicopter services and has a strong geographic presence throughout Europe and Western Africa. The group currently conducts operations out of several bases on two continents with a team of over 480 employees.
NHV’s focus is on the energy-producing industry, including oil and gas support, the renewable energy sector, and offshore wind production. The Group’s scope of work also includes maritime services focusing on harbor pilot Services, as in the case of the agreement with the Dutch Pilots’ Organisation. Aside from helicopter operations, NHV is an approved training organization (ATO) and also provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) solutions.
In addition to supporting its fleet, NHV provides extensive third-party maintenance services to a variety of civil and military clients. The group has a multipurpose high-value fleet of around 40 helicopters including Airbus H145s and H175s, plus Leonardo Helicopters AW139s, and AW169s,
In 2014, NHV Group became the global launching customer of the Airbus H175 Helicopters. The first two H175s were operational by the end of December 2014 for Oil and Gas missions in Den Helder and The Netherlands.
“Renewing our partnership with Dutch Pilots’ Organisation accentuates their trust for our expertise and dedication to performance and safety,” stated Thomas Hütsch, CEO of NHV Group.