Den Helder Airport as the basis for new European cooperation regarding future offshore helicopter operations
Den Helder, 1 March 2018 - An alliance of the six largest European offshore helicopter airports will develop a vision for future offshore helicopter operations for the large wind farms located far from the coast and for maintaining a scheduled service between a number of heliports. After a two-day meeting in Den Helder, the directors spoke of Aberdeen International Airport, Emden Airport, Esbjerg Airport, Humberside Airport, Stavanger Airport and Den Helder Airport are positive about the formation of an alliance: The North Sea Heliports Alliance (NSHA).
The North Sea Heliports Alliance (NSHA) is to become a platform for European offshore helicopter airports that wants to assist governments, energy companies, port and industrial areas to develop sustainable and safe helicopter services for the offshore wind market. With this, NSHA wants to prepare Europe for the future large-scale roll-out of the offshore wind industry in the North Sea. The idea arose from European ambitions to use a large part of the North Sea to generate renewable energy.
Two-day work session in Den Helder
After a year of preparations by Den Helder Airport, the directors of the six largest European offshore helicopter airports gathered last week for a two-day meeting in Den Helder to discuss the energy transition. The meeting was organized on the initiative of Den Helder Airport director Conny van den Hoff and business development manager Nick Waterdrinker. In addition to an extensive introduction, an intensive work program was ready.
On the final day, the six directors in Den Helder embraced the initiative with enthusiasm and decided to hold the meetings at a different airport each time. For example, the inaugural meeting will take place at Aberdeen International Airport in three months and the alliance will present itself at the international WindEurope 2018 fair in Hamburg in September.
Photo fltr: Carol Benzie (Aberdeen Airport), Deborah Zost (Humberside Airport), Olaf Schmidt (Emden Airport), Anette Sigmundstad Hegge (Stavanger Airport), Nick Waterdrinker (Den Helder Airport) and Conny van den Hoff (Den Helder Airport). The representative of Esbjerg Airport is missing in the photo.
