Type Private Website bondaviationgroup.com Founded 1961 | Industry Airline Headquarters Staverton | |
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Parent organizations Babcock International, Avincis Group Subsidiaries Babcock Mission Critical Services Offshore | ||
Bond Aviation Group was the name of a large British helicopter operator based at Gloucestershire Airport, Staverton. It was purchased by Babcock International in 2014. It incorporated Bond Air Services and Bond Offshore Helicopters. All 'Bond' businesses in the UK changed their names in 2016 and today operate as 'Babcock', part of the group's Mission Critical Services businesses within the International division.
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Bond Offshore Helicopters has become Babcock Mission Critical Services Offshore and Bond Air Services has become Babcock Mission Critical Services Onshore.
Both companies hold a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type B Operating Licence, and they are permitted to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with less than 20 seats.
Bond mainly operates Eurocopter aircraft.
History
Founded in 1961, the company first entered the offshore transport industry in 1972, providing helicopters mainly in support of offshore oil and gas operations. By the late 1990s, Bond operated a fleet of over 200 helicopters. In 1995, the business was merged with Helikopter Service Group of Norway.
The group organisation was formed in 1999 when Bond was acquired from Helikopter Service Group.
In 2014 the group's parent company, Avincis, was purchased by the Babcock International Group. All UK operations under the Bond name adopted the Babcock name in 2016.
Bond Offshore Helicopters
In 2001, Bond Offshore Helicopters was formed at Aberdeen Airport to take advantage of the booming North Sea oil and gas, crew replacement requirement. 2002 saw BP award Bond Offshore the largest ever offshore helicopter transport service contract, worth £120 million, to provide all of their Aberdeen based helicopter support operations. This part of the group now employs 250 people and has a forecast turnover of £59m.
In addition to the oil and gas industry service contract, Bond also operates a Search & Rescue operation in the North Sea.
The company operate the Eurocopter Super Puma AS332L2, Eurocopter 365N3 Dauphin and Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma II.
In 2016 Bond Offshore Helicopters changed its name to Babcock Mission Critical Services Offshore
Bond Air Services
Bond Air Services is the largest operator of Air Ambulance and Police aviation units in the UK. Using mainly Eurocopter EC-135 and Bolkow BO-105 helicopters, they operate from 17 bases around the UK and have 2 headquarters, Staverton and Glasgow.
In 2016 Bond Air Services changed its name to Babcock Mission Critical Services Onshore.