9-Sep-2024 Source: Avincis
Avincis has been awarded a further five-year contract by the public entity responsible for maritime search and rescue services in Spain, the Maritime Safety and Rescue Society (SASEMAR), valued at €305 million. This contract solidifies Avincis’s position in providing search and rescue (SAR) services in a region where it has delivered uninterrupted SAR support for the past 30 years.
The contract with SASEMAR ensures that Avincis’s highly-experienced professionals will continue to carry out SAR missions assigned by Salvamento Marítimo from their 11 helicopter bases and along Spain’s 7,905 kilometres of coastline. As part of its contractual commitment, Avincis operates helicopters 24/7 every day of the year, while maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety.
Avincis has been providing these continuous services since first winning the public tender in 1993 when the first contract was signed between the two entities. Over this period, Avincis has flown over 100,000 hours, completed approximately 16,000 missions, and rescued or evacuated more than 8,500 people.
John Boag, Group CEO of Avincis, said: “SASEMAR is one of our longest-standing and most respected clients, and we are very pleased to have been awarded the latest tender for the helicopters providing part of their aerial service. We have delivered maritime search and rescue services in Spain for the past three decades. Our highly-experienced and well-trained crews will continue to be there whenever needed over the next five years.”
About Avincis
Avincis is one of the world’s leading emergency aerial services operators, providing critical aviation services to the civil sector to save lives, safeguard communities, and protect the environment. With a fleet of over 220 aircraft, Avincis employs a team of more than 2,400 professionals, including highly experienced pilots, crews, and technicians. The company operates bases in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, as well as operations in Mozambique and Chile.
About SASEMAR
The Public Entity Maritime Safety and Rescue Society (SASEMAR) is tasked with providing public services for the rescue of human life at sea, combating marine pollution, monitoring and assisting maritime traffic, maritime safety and navigation, tugging and ship assistance, as well as complementary services. SASEMAR’s operational area, defined by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), covers an area of 1.5 million square kilometres, which is three times the size of Spain’s national territory.