Babcock Regulatory News (BAB)

29 June 2017

Babcock International Group PLC (Babcock or the Group)

Babcock awarded new contract to operate new aircraft fleet for Norwegian Health Service

Babcock, the engineering services company, has been awarded a new contract by the Norwegian Government to provide communities across Norway with vital air ambulance support.

Initially for six years with options to extend by a further five years, the contract is worth around £500 million for the full 11 years. It will see Babcock operate 11 specialist fixed-wing aircraft from summer 2019, providing thousands of patients with access to specialist healthcare centres across Norway. The aircraft will be secured on leases which match the contract period, including option years.

Operating from seven bases, the aircraft will be fitted out with custom-designed medical interiors, featuring hospital-standard equipment. They will form a key part of Norway's overall healthcare infrastructure, where hospitals are increasingly developing specialist skills and capabilities for particular areas of treatment.

This award continues the good progress made in building Babcock's international presence and demonstrates the ongoing demand for the Group's services in new markets.

Babcock Chief Executive Archie Bethel said:

"I am delighted that Babcock has been selected to deliver this critical aspect of Norway's healthcare infrastructure. This will be the first time we have worked in Norway, but the contract will draw on our experience of delivering air ambulance care across Scandinavia and around the world.

"Our emergency medical services (EMS) aviation business has grown strongly in recent years, and this latest win in a new country underlines the increasing demand for our air ambulance services. As hospitals become specialised centres of medical excellence, it is more important than ever to have a trusted system in place to transport patients swiftly and safely, with expert care, to where they can receive the best possible medical attention."

Babcock has extensive experience of running Helicopter Emergency Services (HEMS) across countries including Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Finland as well as Australia and the UK.

Babcock's fleet of over 330 Emergency Service aircraft, operated by highly experienced crews and supported by skilled staff, executes around 90,000 missions each year, providing critical air ambulance, search and rescue, firefighting, police and civil protection services. The Group also operates over 50 helicopters serving the oil and gas sector.

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