«The safety of everyone travelling to and from offshore installations is our number one priority. Since the start-up of Johan Castberg, the long-term need for services in the Barents Sea has increased, and stable helicopter capacity is crucial for safe and efficient operations. Good search and rescue services are also an important part of emergency preparedness, both for offshore employees and for everyone travelling in this ocean area,» says Mette Ottøy, Equinor's senior vice president for Joint Operations Support.
The new helicopter contract takes effect on 1 September 2026. The fixed contract period is for three years, with two one-year extension options. The total estimated value of the entire contract, including options, is about NOK 1.9 billion.
Bristow currently operates two transportation helicopters and one SAR helicopter serving the northern operations for both Equinor and Vår Energi. With the new contract, the company will continue these services in the years to come and contribute to stable operations and high safety on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) in the north.
The helicopters e.g. serve the Johan Castberg field for Equinor, which came on stream in March 2025, and the Goliat field for Vår Energi. The activity on the fields is high, with around 90 helicopter flights and about 3,400 passengers each month.
The SAR helicopter is part of the extended area preparedness in the Barents Sea and contributes to increased safety for everyone travelling in the ocean areas, both in petroleum activities, fisheries and other maritime activities. The contract not only contributes to safe transportation to offshore installations, but also helps further strengthen the overall emergency preparedness in the north.
«We look forward to continuing the collaboration with Bristow in Hammerfest. The contract underlines the importance of long-term cooperation on the NCS and contributes to value creation and spin-offs from petroleum activities in the norther areas,» concludes Ottøy.
About Equinor's helicopter traffic
- Around 320,000 passengers are transported to and from Equinor's installations on the NCS annually. This corresponds to more than 24,000 flight hours a year.
- 11,465 passenger flights were carried out in 2025 from Stavanger, Bergen, Florø, Kristiansund, Brønnøysund and Hammerfest.
- Equinor has the following three helicopter operators on the NCS: Bristow Norway, CHC Helicopter Service and Lufttransport RW AS.
