On Tuesday the second Bristow Ireland AW189 arrived at Shannon. Registered EI-IRD, it is the second of six helicopters to join the fleet that will provide Search and Rescue services on behalf of the Irish Coast Guard. It has been noted out training off the west coast and around the Shannon area over the last few days. Sistership, EI-IRR arrived in the country in August and has also been noted training throughout the country in advance of the changeover from CHC Ireland.
The aircraft service will be operated by Bristow Ireland under a ten-year contract which will become fully operational in July 2025. Both the helicopters and Fixed Wing aircraft feature a new Coast Guard livery. However, the transition to the new service was due to commence with the Shannon base on 31st October but this has been delayed. Documents obtained by the Sunday Independent show that personnel have complained that plans to introduce the new service are rushed and undermine confidence. As of mid-November, Bristow had yet to achieve approval for night operations or operations into hospitals.
CHC Ireland is providing interim cover at Shannon using the existing Sikorsky S92. It’s not clear when the new service will commence. A Department of Transport briefing note obtained by the Sunday Independent stated that “a robust contingency plan” is in place to support the delayed transfer of operations at Shannon. This delay has the potential to have knock-on effects on the rollout at the other bases.
