PHI Aviation has opened a new airbase in Houma, Louisiana, completing a multi-year initiative to expand and modernize the company’s key Gulf hub. The company held a ribbon-cutting and grand opening event this week to mark the occasion.
The multimillion-dollar facility includes a 26,000-sq-ft passenger terminal designed to accommodate up to 500 passengers, a parking lot with space for more than 4,000 vehicles, and a 2,250-foot lighted runway. A 40,000-sq-ft hangar was also constructed to support PHI’s rotorcraft operations in the region.
“Since our founding in 1949, PHI Aviation has long been a trusted air carrier for customers operating in and around the Gulf,” said PHI Group CEO Scott McCarty. “This new facility will allow us to offer an improved passenger experience while also increasing our efficiency and ability to operate safely.”
According to the company, the new base is intended to support existing customers and anticipated future demand. PHI Aviation, a division of Lafayette, Louisiana-based PHI Group, operates a fleet of more than 200 helicopters worldwide, primarily supporting energy and medical sectors.
In March, PHI Aviation began offshore operations with the Airbus H160 helicopter in Louisiana, marking the model’s first deployment in the region. PHI is using the H160 to support Shell Exploration and Production under a long-term contract.