CHC Helicopter Corp. is expanding its repair and overhaul capabilities with the acquisition of a majority stake in Aero Turbine Support Ltd. of Langley, a Vancouver suburb.
CHC, which is in the process of moving its head office from St. John’s to Vancouver, said it is also setting up a new repair and overhaul centre in the Vancouver suburb of Richmond.
The global provider of helicopter services, largely to the offshore energy industry, did not disclose how much it is paying for its stake in Aero Turbine Support, an independent maintenance company specializing in General Electric CT58/T58 and Pratt & Whitney PT6T turboshaft engines, used in Sikorsky S-61 and Bell 212 and 412 helicopters.
CHC (FLY.A-TSX) operates about 100 of these engines in its worldwide fleet, and spends about $9 million a year on repair and overhaul of them. It will begin performing this work in-house, and also plans to expand the service to third-party customers.
Stated chief executive officer Craig Dobbin: “The acquisition and expansion are part of an ongoing strategy to increase our in-house capabilities to better serve our existing customers, and to expand our R&O business to new third-party customers.”
