The Irish Coast Guard has unveiled its new livery for its next-generation aircraft fleet. Under a 10-year contract awarded by the Irish Department of Transport (DoT) in August, Bristow Ireland will operate the aircraft, providing 24/7/365 helicopter search-and-rescue (SAR) service usng a fleet of six SAR-equipped Leonardo AW 189s based in Dublin, Shannon, Sligo, and Waterford.
The Irish government decided last year that it would not renew the contract of CHC Ireland, citing a list of factors. CHC was the operator involved in the 2022 fatal crash of an Irish Coast Guard Sikorsky S-92A.
“The Irish Coast Guard is an essential state service, and this new contract represents an exciting time for the organization,” stated Jack Chambers, Minister of State at the DoT, adding that the service will gradually be phased in to provide a smooth transition from the current operator to Bristow. “The release…of this livery for the new specialist aircraft which will replace the existing fleet marks another important step on the transition to the new service provision.”
For the first time, the Coast Guard will also have a dedicated fixed-wing service, provided by 2EXCEL Ireland, with King Air turboprops based at Shannon Airport. They will enhance the Coast Guard’s capacity to coordinate SAR missions and conduct environmental and ship casualty monitoring.