Police Aviation Services (PAS), based in Gloucestershire, UK, has been awarded a maintenance contract for the police air support units of the Eastern Police Consortium.

The company, which is part of the Specialist Aviation Services (SAS) Group, will perform scheduled maintenance and provide on-site support for two Eurocopter EC135s and an AS355 Twin Squirrel.

PAS reports that the Twin Squirrel is due to be replaced by an MD Explorer, which will also be supplied by the firm.

As the UK distributor for MD helicopters, the group has placed two additional Explorers on the UK register this year.

The aircraft have been put into operation with the Great North Air Ambulance and Yorkshire Air Ambulance charities.

The company has boosted its third-party design and modification activities. Modifications have been carried out and are under way for UK and European police helicopters, as well as an FDR/CVR modification for Gulf Helicopters’ Bell 412 and 212 aircraft.

The firm, which is also the UK agent for Ryan International, has also seen an increase in TCAS installations.

Said a spokesman: “Aircraft maintenance services have developed with the addition of corporate aircraft services. This has been made possible through the recent relocation to a new, larger purpose-built facility at Staverton with the emphasis on customer focus.”

The company opened its new facility at Gloucestershire Airport in December, when it celebrated its 20th anniversary of operating emergency service aircraft.

SAS recently acquired a mobile simulator to aid IF currency and IR training. The firm states that the simulator can provide up to 40 hours credit against a full JAR IR course.