DLA Piper has advised Bristow Group, Inc. (NYSE: BRS) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Bristow Helicopters Australia Pty Ltd, on its acquisition of an 85-percent interest in Airnorth, the major aviation operator in northern Australia.
Bristow provides helicopter services around the world, transporting drilling and production crews offshore safely and efficiently. In addition to providing helicopter transport services for energy companies and others, Bristow is a leader in search and rescue (SAR) services and provides fixed wing services through its business unit in Nigeria, and through its affiliates Líder Aviação in Brazil and Eastern Airways in the United Kingdom. Bristow began operations in Australia in 1967 and is now the largest provider of helicopter services to the oil and gas industry in Australia. Headquartered in Perth, Bristow Helicopters operates six bases in Western Australia, three bases in Victoria, one base in the Northern Territory, one in Queensland with two planned in South Australia.
Bristow's majority interest in Airnorth will provide Bristow Helicopters Australia with the ability to offer fixed wing services to existing and new clients of its Australian and South East Asian operations, in effect providing clients with a one stop solution for the transport of their personnel from major regional centres in Northern Australia to the location of their projects. Bristow commenced offering similar services in the United Kingdom last year, following the acquisition by Bristow of a 60 percent interest in the privately owned Eastern Airways International Limited (a regional fixed wing operator based at Humberside Airport located in North Lincolnshire, UK) early last year. DLA Piper's UK offices advised Bristow on its Eastern Airlines acquisition.
With a fleet of 12 aircraft Airnorth operates more than 200 scheduled departures weekly, servicing 17 destinations in Australia and Dili in Timor-Leste. In addition to scheduled departures, Airnorth operates contract and ad-hoc charter services for a wide variety of companies in the mining and oil and gas sector, as well as for defence and government activities.
The DLA Piper team was led by corporate partner Lyndon Masters, with assistance from fellow partners Allan Drake-Brockman, Martin McEniery, Jim Holding, special counsel Andrew Crean, special counsel Mark Baker-Jones and senior associate Fabrice Lincoln.
"We are delighted with the outcome and recognise fully the part that the DLA Piper team played in its success," said Allan Blake, regional director, Asia Pacific at the Bristow Group.
"We are delighted to have advised Bristow Helicopters on this strategic acquisition. The ability to incorporate fixed wing services into their already extensive helicopter network will be of great significance to Bristow's clients in the region, as well as to residents of the region that are dependent on regional aerial services of northern Australia," said Lyndon.
