New jobs as oil flights relocate to Sumburgh

AS MANY as 25 new jobs will be created in Shetland and Aberdeen, after Eastern Airways secured a major £30 million contract with oil giant BP.

The Norwich based airline will fly oil workers from Aberdeen to Sumburgh airport, where they will transfer to helicopters and then taken to BP’s west of Shetland developments.

The service will replace some of the direct helicopter flights from Aberdeen to the Foinaven, Schiehallion and Clair Ridge projects.

BP said on Friday the contract was the result of increased activity and investment in the area.

The jobs created will be a mixture of ground staff and flying crew. Fifteen of the job are said to be based in Shetland.

Starting in June, Eastern will initially operate the service with two Jetstream 41 aircraft and will then move to the company’s larger Saab 2000.

The company’s managing director Paul Alcock said: “This is a major contract for us to have been awarded. We look forward to providing essential transport services to support BP’s significant investment programme in Shetland. “

Mark Hardie, BP’s UK logistics infrastructure manager, added: “The west of Shetland area is an important part of BP’s future in the North Sea, and I’m pleased we are able to create new jobs in Aberdeen and Shetland through this contract award.”

Eastern Airways is the UK’s leading provider of fixed wing air services to the offshore oil and gas industry.

The company already operates services for the Integrated Aviation Consortium (IAC) between Aberdeen and Scatsta.