Johan Eckerstein have from March 1, appointed the new managing director of helicopter operator Norrlandsflyg AB.

John succeeds Frederick Skanselid, which related to a change in ownership has decided to leave the CEO’s responsibility. Frederick persist for some time as ‘Accountable Manager’ but leaves in the spring of the Company (an Accountable Manager is legally responsible for operating an airline is managed according to current regulations).

Johan Eckerstein comes from the IT-company myJoice AB, where he was CEO. John is 37, married with two children.

• I see it as much fun as exciting to take over responsibility for Norrlandsflyg, “said Johan Eckerstein.
• The company now has a good business and a well-run organization, and we are now facing a number of challenges which I hope and believe that I along with my co-workers to find a path to continued success.
• When I last fall left the role as a partner, I felt that it was also natural to make my resignation as president, says Frederick Skanselid.
• I went in as a partner at the end of 2007-08. It’s been a fun time, hard working and demanding but also stimulating, and I now look forward to hand over the “baton” to John.
• When Frederick’s Skanselid now unfortunately decided to leave the CEO’s responsibility, and later this spring, although the company is John Eckerstein an excellent replacement, and I’m glad he has chosen to assume the “mantle,” says Norrlandsflyg Chairman, Bar Mats Koffner.
• Johan has a background in the demanding IT industry where he helped to build and develop several successful companies from concept-to-company. This has given him many good experiences with them into the Norrlandsflyg, says Mats Koffner.

Facts about Norrlandsflyg
Norrlandsflyg AB is Sweden’s largest helicopter company and being one of the leading privately owned company that performs search and rescue, SAR. The company was founded in 1961 as AB Mountain Flight by Knut Hedstrom to conduct air transportation in the mountains. Norrlandsflyg, which has its headquarters and technical base to Save
Airport in Gothenburg, is involved since the early 2000s only to contract assignments for authorities and other clients.

Today, the Norrlandsflyg on behalf of the Maritime Administration for all Swedish SAR (Search-and-Rescue, SAR) from his five helicopter bases, Skelleftea, Norrtälje, Visby, Ronneby and Gothenburg. On each base there days on, for fifteen minutes readiness, a custom built search and rescue helicopter of type Sikorsky S-76. Each helicopter has a crew of four people: two pilots, a rescue swimmer and a winch operator, who is also a helicopter technician.

In addition to SAR operations respond Norrlandsflyg for air ambulance operations in the Västra Götaland Region, based in Gothenburg. Norrlandsflyg has about 120 employees and eleven helicopters.