MUMBAI, INDIA and HOUSTON, TX -- (Marketwired) -- 03/14/16 -- Global Vectra Helicorp Ltd. (BSE Code 532773; NSE Code GLOBALVECT) ("GVHL") and Era Group Inc. (NYSE: ERA) ("Era") announced today the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) for the Indian market.
HEMS represents a modern trauma care delivery system designed to facilitate rapid delivery of medical attention to patients with time sensitive medical conditions and to provide transport to patients who may be inaccessible by other means, along with attendant specialized medical expertise and equipment that may be required prior to or during transport.
Under the MoU, GVHL and Era will collaborate on an exclusive basis to develop a marketing and operational plan to reach and provide medical assistance to casualties following accidents and disasters, evacuate critical care patients and engage in other lifesaving missions within India. By joining forces, GVHL, India's largest private air logistics helicopter company with extensive experience operating at several locations across India, and Era, one of the largest helicopter operators in the world and the longest serving helicopter transport operator in the U.S. with specific experience in HEMS operations, will leverage their respective expertise and modern, diverse fleet of helicopters to introduce the offering in India.
"With Era's experience in establishing and running a HEMS service that meets or exceeds the highest international standards for safety and reliability, and GVHL's extensive knowledge of factors affecting helicopter operations in India, we are excited to conduct a detailed review of the best way to introduce and deliver a truly world class HEMS service into India," said AJ Baker, CEO at GVHL in Mumbai.
"Era is excited to expand its long-standing relationship with Global Vectra," said Paul White, Senior Vice President, Commercial of Era Group. "We believe that the recent regulatory initiatives will facilitate the development of the emerging Helicopter Emergency Medical Services market in India by experienced operators like Era and Global Vectra."
About Global Vectra Helicorp Limited
GVHL is India's largest private helicopter company, with a fleet of 27 aircraft, including helicopters manufactured by Bell (Bell 412), Airbus (H155 B1, H135 P2, H130 T2 and AS 350 B3) & Finmeccanica (AW 139). The fleet of helicopters, which range from small light helicopters to medium-sized twin helicopters, offer seating capacity for 5-15 passengers. GVHL offers offshore transportation services to the oil and gas sector and onshore services such as pilgrimage shuttle and charter services throughout India. GVHL is listed on the National Stock Exchange and the Mumbai Stock Exchange. It is an ISO 9001-2008, 14001-2004, and OHSAS 18001-2007 certified company. These certifications cover all GVHL activities, including flight operations, engineering, safety, quality control, and commercial systems.
For additional information concerning GVHL, visit the website at www.globalhelicorp.com.
About Era Group Inc.
Era is one of the largest helicopter operators in the world and the longest serving helicopter transport operator in the U.S. In addition to servicing its U.S. customers, Era also provides helicopters and related services to third-party helicopter operators and customers in other countries, including Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, India, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom. Era's helicopters are primarily used to transport personnel to, from and between offshore oil and gas production platforms, drilling rigs and other installations. In addition, Era provides air medical services, utility services, flightseeing tours and emergency response search and rescue.
For additional information concerning Era, contact Andrew Puhala at (713) 369-4646 or visit Era's website at www.eragroupinc.com.
