| GUARANTORS OF SECURITIES (Condensed Income Statement) (Details) - USD ($)$ in Thousands
 | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 
| Sep. 30, 2015 | Sep. 30, 2014 | Sep. 30, 2015 | Sep. 30, 2014 | 
| Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  | 
| Operating revenues | $ 69,741 | $ 90,510 | $ 207,894 | $ 256,533 | 
| Costs and expenses: |  |  |  |  | 
| Operating | 43,007 | 54,282 | 126,396 | 158,601 | 
| Administrative and general | 11,238 | 12,941 | 31,760 | 34,340 | 
| Depreciation | 12,186 | 11,746 | 35,186 | 34,458 | 
| Total costs and expenses | 66,431 | 78,969 | 193,342 | 227,399 | 
| Gains on asset dispositions, net | 1,813 | 42 | 4,959 | 6,072 | 
| Operating income | 5,123 | 11,583 | 19,511 | 35,206 | 
| Other income (expense): |  |  |  |  | 
| Interest income | 232 | 130 | 800 | 418 | 
| Interest expense | (3,121) | (3,629) | (9,547) | (11,222) | 
| Intercompany interest income (expense) | 0 |  | 0 | 0 | 
| Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment | (16) | 0 | 248 | 0 | 
| Derivative losses, net | 8 | (1,703) | (14) | (1,744) | 
| Note receivable impairment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,457 | 
| Foreign currency gains (losses), net | 146 | (485) | (2,271) | (521) | 
| Gain on sale of FBO | 0 | 0 | 12,946 | 0 | 
| Other, net | 0 | (3) | (9) | 10 | 
| Total other income (expense) | (2,751) | (5,690) | 2,153 | (15,516) | 
| Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings | 2,372 | 5,893 | 21,664 | 19,690 | 
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 1,343 | 2,868 | 9,426 | 8,130 | 
| Income (loss) before equity earnings | 1,029 | 3,025 | 12,238 | 11,560 | 
| Equity earnings (losses), net of tax | (376) | 1,286 | (719) | 2,321 | 
| Equity in earnings (losses) of subsidiaries | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Net income (loss) | 653 | 4,311 | 11,519 | 13,881 | 
| Net loss (income) attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiary | 208 | (45) | 633 | 51 | 
| Net income attributable to Era Group Inc. | 861 | 4,266 | 12,152 | 13,932 | 
| Parent |  |  |  |  | 
| Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  | 
| Operating revenues | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Costs and expenses: |  |  |  |  | 
| Operating | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Administrative and general | 1,773 | 2,047 | 4,889 | 5,496 | 
| Depreciation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Total costs and expenses | 1,773 | 2,047 | 4,889 | 5,496 | 
| Gains on asset dispositions, net | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Operating income | (1,773) | (2,047) | (4,889) | (5,496) | 
| Other income (expense): |  |  |  |  | 
| Interest income | 4 | 18 | 12 | 63 | 
| Interest expense | (2,801) | (3,444) | (8,909) | (10,617) | 
| Intercompany interest income (expense) | 0 |  | 0 | 0 | 
| Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment | (16) |  | 248 |  | 
| Derivative losses, net | 0 | (1,605) | 0 | (1,605) | 
| Note receivable impairment |  |  |  | 2,457 | 
| Foreign currency gains (losses), net | 4 | (188) | 620 | 2,257 | 
| Gain on sale of FBO |  |  | 12,946 |  | 
| Other, net |  | (2) | 0 | 10 | 
| Total other income (expense) | (2,809) | (5,221) | 4,917 | (12,349) | 
| Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings | (4,582) | (7,268) | 28 | (17,845) | 
| Income tax expense (benefit) | (2,593) | (3,540) | 12 | (7,370) | 
| Income (loss) before equity earnings | (1,989) | (3,728) | 16 | (10,475) | 
| Equity earnings (losses), net of tax | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Equity in earnings (losses) of subsidiaries | 2,850 | 7,994 | 12,136 | 24,407 | 
| Net income (loss) | 861 | 4,266 | 12,152 | 13,932 | 
| Net loss (income) attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiary | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Net income attributable to Era Group Inc. | 861 | 4,266 | 12,152 | 13,932 | 
| Guarantors |  |  |  |  | 
| Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  | 
| Operating revenues | 69,491 | 90,120 | 207,550 | 256,013 | 
| Costs and expenses: |  |  |  |  | 
| Operating | 42,812 | 54,289 | 125,886 | 158,686 | 
| Administrative and general | 9,329 | 10,966 | 26,582 | 29,061 | 
| Depreciation | 11,674 | 11,601 | 34,341 | 34,021 | 
| Total costs and expenses | 63,815 | 76,856 | 186,809 | 221,768 | 
| Gains on asset dispositions, net | 1,813 | 42 | 7,564 | 6,072 | 
| Operating income | 7,489 | 13,306 | 28,305 | 40,317 | 
| Other income (expense): |  |  |  |  | 
| Interest income | 228 | 111 | 786 | 351 | 
| Interest expense | (298) | (185) | (605) | (605) | 
| Intercompany interest income (expense) | 165 |  | 489 | 254 | 
| Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment | 0 |  | 0 |  | 
| Derivative losses, net | 8 | (98) | (14) | (139) | 
| Note receivable impairment |  |  |  | 0 | 
| Foreign currency gains (losses), net | 75 | (297) | (2,958) | (2,778) | 
| Gain on sale of FBO |  |  | 0 |  | 
| Other, net |  | (1) | 0 | 0 | 
| Total other income (expense) | 178 | (470) | (2,302) | (2,917) | 
| Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings | 7,667 | 12,836 | 26,003 | 37,400 | 
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 4,340 | 6,250 | 11,314 | 15,444 | 
| Income (loss) before equity earnings | 3,327 | 6,586 | 14,689 | 21,956 | 
| Equity earnings (losses), net of tax | (376) | 1,286 | (719) | 2,321 | 
| Equity in earnings (losses) of subsidiaries | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Net income (loss) | 2,951 | 7,872 | 13,970 | 24,277 | 
| Net loss (income) attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiary | 49 | (45) | 376 | 51 | 
| Net income attributable to Era Group Inc. | 3,000 | 7,827 | 14,346 | 24,328 | 
| Non-guarantors |  |  |  |  | 
| Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  | 
| Operating revenues | 655 | 527 | 1,087 | 1,034 | 
| Costs and expenses: |  |  |  |  | 
| Operating | 600 | 58 | 1,253 | 212 | 
| Administrative and general | 136 | 0 | 289 | 0 | 
| Depreciation | 512 | 145 | 845 | 437 | 
| Total costs and expenses | 1,248 | 203 | 2,387 | 649 | 
| Gains on asset dispositions, net | 0 | 0 | (2,605) | 0 | 
| Operating income | (593) | 324 | (3,905) | 385 | 
| Other income (expense): |  |  |  |  | 
| Interest income | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 
| Interest expense | (22) | 0 | (33) | 0 | 
| Intercompany interest income (expense) | (165) |  | (489) | (254) | 
| Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment | 0 |  | 0 |  | 
| Derivative losses, net | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Note receivable impairment |  |  |  | 0 | 
| Foreign currency gains (losses), net | 67 | 0 | 67 | 0 | 
| Gain on sale of FBO |  |  | 0 |  | 
| Other, net |  | 0 | (9) | 0 | 
| Total other income (expense) | (120) | 1 | (462) | (250) | 
| Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings | (713) | 325 | (4,367) | 135 | 
| Income tax expense (benefit) | (404) | 158 | (1,900) | 56 | 
| Income (loss) before equity earnings | (309) | 167 | (2,467) | 79 | 
| Equity earnings (losses), net of tax | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Equity in earnings (losses) of subsidiaries | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Net income (loss) | (309) | 167 | (2,467) | 79 | 
| Net loss (income) attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiary | 159 | 0 | 257 | 0 | 
| Net income attributable to Era Group Inc. | (150) | 167 | (2,210) | 79 | 
| Eliminations |  |  |  |  | 
| Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  | 
| Operating revenues | (405) | (137) | (743) | (514) | 
| Costs and expenses: |  |  |  |  | 
| Operating | (405) | (65) | (743) | (297) | 
| Administrative and general | 0 | (72) | 0 | (217) | 
| Depreciation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Total costs and expenses | (405) | (137) | (743) | (514) | 
| Gains on asset dispositions, net | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Operating income | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Other income (expense): |  |  |  |  | 
| Interest income | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Interest expense | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Intercompany interest income (expense) | 0 |  | 0 | 0 | 
| Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment | 0 |  | 0 |  | 
| Derivative losses, net | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Note receivable impairment |  |  |  | 0 | 
| Foreign currency gains (losses), net | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Gain on sale of FBO |  |  | 0 |  | 
| Other, net |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Total other income (expense) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Income (loss) before equity earnings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Equity earnings (losses), net of tax | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Equity in earnings (losses) of subsidiaries | (2,850) | (7,994) | (12,136) | (24,407) | 
| Net income (loss) | (2,850) | (7,994) | (12,136) | (24,407) | 
| Net loss (income) attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiary | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Net income attributable to Era Group Inc. | $ (2,850) | $ (7,994) | $ (12,136) | $ (24,407) |