Offshore Industry: Helicopters

(asked on 27th November 2017) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Civil Aviation Authority on the potential merits of a public inquiry into the safety of helicopter transport in the North Sea oil and gas industry.


Answered by
John Hayes Portrait
John Hayes
This question was answered on 30th November 2017

In 2014 the CAA published a comprehensive strategic safety review of offshore public transport helicopter operations in support of the exploitation of oil and gas. The review examined the risks to helicopter operations to support the oil and gas industries in and around the North Sea. It was conducted in conjunction with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority and was peer-reviewed by independent experts. It identified a wide range of opportunities to improve the safety of those operations and resulted in significant changes in safety that were introduced as quickly as possible and welcomed by everyone involved.

The CAA will continue to work with the helicopter operators, the offshore industries, international regulators, unions and pilot representatives to enhance offshore safety standards still further.

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