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New rescue helicopter arrives at Sola

Sola. Rescue helicopter:Photo: Carina Johansen / NTB Scanpix

One of the new rescue helicopters ordered by Norway is at Sola to begin testing before it’s put into operation next year.

 

In June, a new AgustaWestland AW101 landed at the airport outside Stavanger, to show it at the Sola Airshow.

This time, the stay will be long-lasting, said Stavanger Aftenblad newspaper. A comprehensive testing program is scheduled before operations in 2018.

A few days before Christmas, on the 20th December, both the Justice and Emergency Affairs Minister, Per-Willy Amundsen of Fremskrittsparti (Frp), and Defence Minister, Frank Bakke-Jensen of Høyre (H) will attend Sola for an official launch, where the helicopter will be displayed. By then,helicopter number two will be in place.

The contract for the purchase of 16 new helicopters was entered into in 2013,and the helicopters will be phased in between 2018 and 2020. Sola is first out, followed by Ørland (2018), Banak (2019), Bodø (2019), Rygge (2020) and Florø (2020).

Initially, the first two AW101 helicopters should have come to Norway in April, but delivery was delayed due to ‘challenges in production, testing and certification of the first helicopters.’

 

©  NTB Scanpix / Norway Today