Deirdre Michie, chief executive of Oil & Gas UK, said:
“We note the Civil Aviation Authority’s announcement of plans to lift the restrictions in place on the H225LP and AS332L2 Airbus helicopters.
This announcement does not mean an immediate return to service of these helicopters in the UK and it will be for individual oil and gas companies to decide if they consider doing so. This will require a robust Safety Case, as well as required monitoring and modifications to allow flying.
The safety of the offshore workforce is of paramount importance to the industry and we understand the strong feelings and opinions surrounding this matter. There is an ongoing consultation being held by Airbus regarding these helicopters for pilots and passengers and we would encourage all of the workforce involved to provide input so that any concerns can be addressed.
We will continue to work closely on helicopter safety with the workforce, industry and regulators going forwards.”