EC225 comes back

Eurocopter is confident that it fully understands the technical problems with the EC225 gear shaft and says that the aircraft will be able to return to service in the North Sea by mid-July at the latest.

Operators also seem to agree with this. Although they may not all return their aircraft at the same time. In its earnings call Bristow said it is aiming for its financial third quarter (which starts in October).

Oil companies and operators will be delighted to get the EC225 back. Avincis says that it lost around $11 million (Eu7.4 million) because of having to ground its three EC225s (which make up just three of its 344 aircraft fleet).

Assuming the problem is fixed, the two ditchings will quickly be forgotten. No one has cancelled EC225 orders and smart customers have kept ordering them. At the height of the problems in February this year, Milestone ordered another 14 EC225s to add to the 16 EC225s it ordered in 2012. Despite the grounding of much of the fleet if you want to order one now you will be lucky to get a slot before 2016.

The ditchings will hopefully just be a blip in the 30 year life of the asset.