Union voices helicopter concerns

Unite, the largest trade union in the UK offshore oil & gas sector, has told helicopter manufacturer Eurocopter their summer target date for the return of the Super Puma fleet to North Sea operations is ambitious at best.

The Super Puma EC225 fleet has been grounded since October 2012, when a flight carrying 19 offshore workers ditched in the North Sea off North Ronaldsay after gearbox failure.

Oil workers were flown to Orkney and Shetland by rescue choppers following the ditching. A similar problem also resulted in a previous ditching in May 2012 and 16 lives were lost in April 2009 when a Super Puma ditched off the Aberdeenshire coast.

Eurocopter say they have now investigated and understand the gearbox problem and expect the fleet to return to service between late June and early July.