South African operator Henley has been encouraged by the performance of its latest acquisitions, two Bell 222 UT (utility) helicopters, which it is using for the transportation of gold bullion and platinum from mines in range of its base in Rand, Johannesburg. The totally refurbished aircraft can accommodate up to six passengers and have fuel capacity to fly in excess of 90 minutes.

The helicopters have skids rather than wheels, meaning there are no mechanisms in the undercarriage for landing, and this has meant that a further 400 pounds of fuel can be added to the sponsons. Despite this, the overall weight of the latest helicopters is lighter than the B and the A model formerly used by Henley. Andre Coetzee, Henley ceo says that the UTs have been performing “exceptionally well” and cites the factors involved in the investment: “These aircraft are far cheaper and the acquisition cost was quite low. In terms of maintenance they are a historically well-supported machine in South Africa.”

The operational benefits are another positive factor: “It has made our current operations a lot easier, it’s streamlined it and in terms of revenue, instead of having to lease these machines, we own them now. They are really cheap to insure, have a proven track record and are pretty simple to fly as well. So we’re really chuffed with them.”

Coetzee also indicated that despite the economic problems that have plagued many operators, Henley is optimistic about the market: “For the business we are very upbeat, we have seen a change since the beginning of the year. It’s still not fantastic but we have definitely seen an upswing in business charter specifically. And we service a very specific niche with these machines, so we’re hoping to expand on that.”