New Delhi, Mar 24

Pawan Hans Limited (“Pawan Hans”), a Government of India company under Ministry of Civil Aviation today announced that it signed agreements for the leasing of six Sikorsky S-76D™ helicopters from The Milestone Aviation Group Limited (“Milestone”), the global leader in helicopter leasing. The announcement was made during the Wings India event in Hyderabad, India.

The aircraft will support Pawan Hans’ onshore and offshore helicopter operations in India with Pawan Hans contracted to operate two S-76D helicopters for the Government of India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (“ONGC”).

In addition to the six helicopters, of which five have already delivered, Milestone and Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company are also providing Pawan Hans with comprehensive value and sustainment packages to support the phasing-in of this new helicopter type into its fleet.

Speaking at Wings India, Sanjeev Razdan, Chairman and Managing Director of Pawan Hans said, “Pawan Hans is the market leader and is very selective in bringing the ideal technology relevant for the Indian market. In the medium twin category, the S-76D is the ideal aircraft to support our offshore operations in South Asia. The helicopter has been launched with a completely new maintenance and support philosophy by Pawan Hans.

With agreements in place with several OEMs, and the introduction of the technologically advanced S-76D helicopter, Pawan Hans is playing a pivotal role in bringing next-generation helicopter operations to the Indian market.”

Michael York, Head of Emerging Markets at Milestone said “The S-76D is a new helicopter platform type for Pawan Hans that will enhance their operations with greater capabilities and advanced technologies. Through this transaction, we are not only cultivating a new operator for the S-76D but also starting a long-term relationship between Milestone and Pawan Hans.”

“The Milestone team has worked hard to put together a comprehensive value package for Pawan Hans. This value package is a key differentiator for Milestone and illustrates the depth of service capability that we offer, bringing tailor-made solutions to our customers. Milestone is proud to have been selected by Pawan Hans as their leasing partner and we thank them for the trust they have placed in us.”

“We welcome Pawan Hans into the Lockheed Martin family, and we value our continued relationship with Milestone. Lockheed Martin is thrilled that Pawan Hans is introducing the S-76D aircraft to the Indian market to perform critical offshore oil and gas transport missions,” said Bill Blair, Chief Executive Lockheed Martin India. “Selection of these advanced aircraft combined with Sikorsky's support services will ensure high availability rates for customers that rightly demand reliability and performance and are aligned with Lockheed Martin's focus on such an important region”.

The legendary S-76® helicopter operates successfully in more than 40 countries on six continents, fulfilling its many missions in varied environmental conditions. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company has delivered more than 875 S-76 helicopters to customers globally since 1977, contributing daily to a growing total of more than 7.5 million flight hours. The S-76D helicopter, through its application of modern technologies, is designed to provide a substantial increase in performance, power and value.