Aeromega has acquired fellow UK operator Directflight in a move that will see the helicopter company enter the fixed-wing aerial surveillance market for the first time.
The move is also part of a wider strategy by London-based Aeromega, a privately owned helicopter operator and engineering company, to broaden its portfolio and offer a broader range of services. "We plan to make our operation as seamless as possible, and could expand into fixed-wing corporate charter," says Aeromega managing director Philip Sheldon.
Aeromega's services include VIP charter, air ambulance and police air support. Contracts would provide pilotage and maintenance on Eurocopter EC135s for the Essex and Suffolk police forces. Further EC135 contracts are being sought, says Sheldon.
Warwick-based Directflight, which is likely to be rebranded, operates two Cessna 406 twin turboprops, one owned and one leased. "This is a successful business with two well-established UK government fisheries and surveillance contracts," says Sheldon. The company has also been awarded, through BAE Systems, a 10-year contract to operate a modified BAe 146 for global meteorological research.
Source: Flight International
