From Service to Savings, Airnorth Acquisition Brings New Possibilities for Bristow Clients

At Bristow, we constantly look for new ways to enhance customer service and increase cost savings for our clients. This past February, Bristow Helicopters Australia affirmed its commitment to this goal by acquiring an 85-percent controlling interest in Airnorth, the largest regional airline in Northern Australia.

This new alliance means greater convenience and future savings for all our business travelers frequenting Australian and Southeast Asian airspace. Our energy industry partners will especially benefit from Airnorth’s scheduled and charter services, which focus on the energy and mining industries in northern and western Australia, as well as international service to Timor-Leste and the Philippines. “Many of our global clients are requesting a fully integrated passenger service, including travel services, as they seek to refocus on their core business,” said Allan Blake, director of Bristow’s Australia Business Unit. “The potential exists to reduce client costs associated with travel, accommodation and passenger logistics, by providing fixed-wing plus helicopter solutions to our oil and gas clients.”

Airnorth’s customer base includes many energy companies that already use our helicopter services. In fact, the airline’s thirteen aircraft fly the majority of travelers seeking passage to many remote oil and gas and indigenous tribal areas. As an added bonus, Airnorth is the only Darwin/Northern Territory-based Qantas Airways code-share partner. Through this partnership with Qantas, Airnorth offers seamless connectivity for our travelers, including check-in and interline baggage facilities.

Jonathan E. Baliff, Bristow Group president and chief executive officer, echoes Blake’s enthusiasm and what the acquisition will mean for our customers. “Airnorth is an exceptional operator,” he says. “Our companies are culturally and operationally aligned, putting our clients first, with shared core values of safety, teamwork and excellence. This investment strengthens our ability to provide a complete suite of point-to-point transportation services for existing Australian-based passengers and create more integrated logistics solutions for our global clients.”

Airnorth will retain its name, brand identity and all current staff through the acquisition. We at Bristow anticipate a smooth transition for our companies, and we are honored to welcome Australia’s second oldest airline to the Bristow family!