Babcock has been awarded a contract extension to continue delivering a lifesaving Search and Rescue (SAR) service in support of the men and women working in the North Sea.

The four-year extension – which follows a previous one-year extension – will see the contract for the Aberdeen-based operation, which was due to complete this April, now run through to spring 2025. It takes the original five-year contract, which began in 2015, out to a full ten-year term.

Babcock’s Director Offshore, Ian Cooke, said: “Babcock SAR teams have unmatched experience in operational delivery not only in the North Sea but also more widely across Europe and Australia. This significant extension is a clear signal of the quality of service Babcock SAR teams are renowned for.

“Over more than two decades our Aberdeen-based North Sea SAR specialists have been called out hundreds of times, taking expert clinical care to the men and women working in the North Sea – 24/7. This contract extension will see us continue to provide an evolving service, with new technologies, new capabilities but the same unwavering commitment to delivering life-saving care when and where it matters the most.”

Babcock will continue to operate two specialist AW139 helicopters from their SAR headquarters at Aberdeen International Airport. Each custom-designed aircraft is equipped with on-board SAR technologies, including dual hoist winches and hospital-class medical equipment. The aircraft are staffed and supported by clinical experts to ensure the highest level of medical care is available on-board.

Ian Cooke added: “We are enormously proud of the work we do to support the men and women working in the North Sea. From providing safe and reliable transport flights to running this specialist SAR operation in its various forms for over two decades, we are committed to providing our customers and passengers with aviation support they can depend on.”