Cobham flys high with $170m Chevron deal

Cobham Aviation Services Australia has today secured the country's largest-ever aviation support contract for the resources industry with a $170 million contract to provide flight services for Chevron's operations in the north of the state.

The air services provider will fly workers from Perth and Karratha to Barrow Island to the $43 billion Gorgon gas project and other operations until 2016.

"The Chevron contract award is very significant for Cobham," chief executive Peter Nottage said.

"It involves the introduction of new aircraft variants and positions the company for continued growth in the Western Australian resource industry market through to 2016."

Under the contract, Cobham will introduce two new 100-seat Avro RJ100 aircraft into Australia, the first of their type to be engaged in the Australian fly-in, fly-out aviation sector. The aircraft have been designed to incorporate a passenger and
quarantine-friendly cabin with the aircraft interior planned especially for this project.

The first of the RJ100 aircraft will be in service during the first half of 2010, followed closely by a second aircraft in 2011, Cobham said.