Equinor charts flight path for oil & gas assets with CHC and Lufttransport as $430M chopper deal takes off

October 24, 2025, by Melisa Cavcic

With offshore safety high up on its radar, Norway’s state-owned energy giant Equinor has hired CHC Helikopter Service and Lufttransport RW for the multi-year provision of helicopter services at multiple oil and gas projects on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).

Courtesy of Helge Aase Nesvåg/CHC Helikopter Service

The new contracts, which have an estimated total value of NOK 4.3 billion (around $429.6 million), including options, for crew transportation services from Bergen, enable CHC Helikopter Service and Lufttransport RW to operate five helicopters serving installations, such as Troll, Gullfaks, Oseberg, Martin Linge, Statfjord, Kvitebjørn, and Valemon.

Ørjan Kvelvane, Head of Operations Support at Equinor, commented: ”The safety of everyone traveling to and from offshore work is always our highest priority. CHC and Lufttransport are experienced operators we already work with, and they know the crew transportation service and safety requirements on the Norwegian continental shelf. With these contracts, Equinor’s helicopter base in Bergen will have a safe and robust solution.”

The contracts, which will take effect in early May 2026, come with a fixed term that runs until December 31, 2028, with the possibility of extension until the end of 2030. CHC will operate three Sikorsky S-92 helicopters, two of which are already under contract with Equinor and will be relocated from Sola to Bergen.

The company claims that the relocation is made possible by the introduction of AW189 helicopters at Sola. CHC will also add one more S-92 helicopter, which is currently flying on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, to the Bergen base.

On the other hand, Lufttransport will operate two AW139 helicopters, which will later be replaced by two AW189 helicopters, scheduled for delivery in 2027. This firm, which is approved by the Civil Aviation Authority of Norway to operate both helicopter types, has experience flying AW139 for Equinor as a passenger transport helicopter to Troll from Bergen in 2024.

Equinor has disclosed its intention to conduct a series of verifications before the contracts begin, including checks of resources, facilities, approvals, manuals, personnel, helicopter equipment, HSE work, IT security, and physical security, which are standard procedures before the start of all helicopter contracts.

Kvelvane elaborated: ”Together with the operators, we are now carrying out thorough preparations for a safe and efficient start-up. We have been in dialogue for some time, and they have been able to start early with planning and secure phasing-in.

“Both operators have already made good progress in hiring pilots and technicians with relevant experience. Training programs are approved by the Civil Aviation Authority Norway, and they have conducted flights to several installations, including with AW139. Work on training and phasing-in will continue going forward.”

The Bergen helicopter base at Flesland is perceived to handle the highest traffic, with nearly 5,000 flights in 2024. Ever since the Turøy accident in 2016, the Sikorsky S-92 has been the primary helicopter type in service for offshore passenger transport on the Norwegian shelf.

The company claims that it transports, together with its operators, approximately 320,000 passengers annually to and from installations on the NCS, which corresponds to over 24,000 flight hours per year.

The latest contract comes after Equinor handed out a three-year deal to CHC Helicopter in July 2025 to support its Mariner and Rosebank fields on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS).