Bristow Ireland has received Part 145 approval from the Irish Aviation Authority for its base at Weston Airport in Dublin.

The accreditation, achieved after months of hard work, confirms that the team and the facility meet or exceed all the standards for maintenance, repairs and inspections for the AW189 helicopter, which will be phased-in to deliver lifesaving search and rescue operations under the new contract for the Irish Coast Guard.

It gives the Bristow Ireland engineers at Weston Airport the authority to carry out critical engineering and maintenance operations. They are cleared to complete all the essential tasks that will keep the new helicopter fleet flying safe, day and night, as the transition period begins.

This accreditation is particularly noteworthy as it not only covers line maintenance, when helicopters are inspected and routine maintenance is carried out on a daily basis; it also covers base maintenance, when aircraft undergo much deeper and more significant scheduled work, so Bristow Ireland can carry out major repairs and modifications at the Weston base.

“I'm immensely proud of everyone who has worked so hard to get to this stage and make Part 145 approval in Ireland a reality,” says Part 145 maintenance manager for Bristow Ireland, John Keane as he received the certificate from the Irish Aviation Authority.

Keane and Bristow Ireland chief engineer Enda McNeill started on the project five months ago. Today the hangar at Weston Airport is home to a team of experienced, licensed engineers as well as their specialist equipment, platforms and tools.

But most importantly John and Enda also developed the incredibly detailed maintenance organisation exposition that sets out all the required procedures for safe and effective aircraft maintenance.

“It was a demanding timeframe but with the support of the wider team we made it happen. Now we are ready for the arrival of the first aircraft.”

Bristow Ireland director, Philip Bartlett, comments: “This is a significant moment in our support for the future of search and rescue in Ireland. It falls right on-schedule as we look towards phasing in new bases, new aircraft and new technology over the managed transition period. Huge credit to the team and thanks too to the Irish Aviation Authority for its continued and ongoing support.”

In further news, the Irish Minister of State at the Department of Transport with responsibility for the Coast Guard, James Lawless, has welcomed the arrival into Dublin's Weston airport of the first Leonardo AW189 helicopter in the Irish Coast Guard's fleet. The full fleet will comprise six AW189 helicopters, five of which will be newly-built, along with two fixed-wing aircraft. The helicopters will be stationed at Weston, Sligo, Waterford and Shannon, providing day and night, year-round availability. The fixed wing aircraft service will be located in Shannon. The fleet will enable the Irish Coast Guard to continue to provide world-class maritime, coastal and inland search and rescue services, which have saved the lives of over 300 people in 2024 alone. The aircraft fleet will also be used for environmental monitoring and for other essential services including helicopter emergency medical and air ambulance services on behalf of the HSE and National Ambulance Service.

Welcoming the arrival, Minister Lawless says: “This is an exciting milestone in the introduction of the new aviation service of the Irish Coast Guard. This fleet will enhance the Coast Guard's capability to deliver a world class search and rescue and maritime environment monitoring services, along with the essential aviation support service they provide to other state organisations including the National Ambulance Service, An Garda Síochána and National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Services.

​“Coast Guard personnel are incredibly committed to assisting the public, sometimes in extremely challenging situations. This new fleet ensures that the highest standards of safety and professionalism continue to be met, as they carry out their life-saving work.”

The aircraft service will be operated by Bristow Ireland Limited under a 10-year contract, which will become fully operational in July 2025.

Both the helicopters and fixed wing aircraft feature a new Coast Guard livery. In the coming weeks, search and rescue providers including Coast Guard volunteers, RNLI, community inshore rescue and mountain rescue teams will work with the new helicopter, conducting exercises that replicate everyday search and rescue activities. Transition from the existing contract is scheduled to commence on 31st October 2024, when Bristow will assume responsibility for Shannon-based operations. The intervening time will be used for training and conducting familiarisation exercises before it is put into active service. The three other bases at Sligo, Waterford and Dublin Weston will transition to the new contracted service on a phased basis between now and July 2025.

The AW189 is a modern, technologically advanced and fuel-efficient helicopter. The technical specifications of the AW189 fully meet and, indeed, exceed the requirements for the full range of aviation taskings operated by the Irish Coast Guard.

Director of Bristow Ireland, Philip Bartlett, says: “It's great to see this helicopter here at its new home in Ireland. The scheduled process for introducing the new SAR service for the Irish Coast Guard is now well under way. We will be phasing in new equipment and new technology to this trusted, life-saving service throughout the transition period.”