S-92 centre of excellence opens in Brazil
Heli-One, a global leader in helicopter MRO, today opened the first S-92 helicopter customer support centre in Brazil to provide scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on any S-92 aircraft in the region.
Authorised by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, the support centre is a foundational pillar for a comprehensive S-92 centre of excellence, which will offer a broad range of sustainment services for the platform, including parts provisioning and an overhaul and repair capability.
The launch of the Brazil customer support centre reflects Heli-One’s broader strategy to expand its global support network and bring advanced MRO and embedded maintenance capabilities closer to operators in critical markets worldwide.
Building on decades of experience supporting civil, public service and military helicopter fleets, Heli-One is investing in regional infrastructure, strengthening OEM and supply chain partnerships, and scaling its operational footprint to deliver faster, more integrated and mission-ready support solutions for customers wherever they operate.
The Heli-One S-92 centre of excellence has strong support from S-92 helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky, and from aircraft lessor Milestone, an AerCap company, which owns 17 of the approximately 40 S-92 aircraft currently operating in the South America region.
Designated a heavy-lift aircraft, each S-92 can carry 19 passengers a radius of 200 nm. The opening of the Sikorsky-authorised Heli-One S-92 customer support centre in Brazil is the first of its kind in South America, and the ninth S-92 support centre to be established globally.
Kevin Spengler, Heli-One President, said: “We are proud to bring Heli-One’s specialist MRO capabilities to Brazil with the opening of this new customer support centre. This investment will significantly improve maintenance turnaround times and parts provisioning for S-92 operators across Brazil and the wider South American region, helping keep critical missions flying with greater reliability and efficiency. Operators will also benefit from the depth of experience within Heli-One’s highly skilled workforce, which has supported Sikorsky products for decades across our operations in Norway, Canada and Poland. By bringing together that global expertise and applying the lessons learned from our established S-92 capabilities in those markets, we are building the foundation for Cabo Frio to become a leading regional centre of excellence for the S-92 platform.”
Leon Silva, Vice President of Sikorsky’s Global Commercial and Advanced Programs, added: “As the energy industry extends platforms farther out to sea, and demand for offshore transport grows, it is essential that S-92 operators receive skilled and dedicated support services close to their home base of operations. The investment our three companies collectively are planning for the centre of excellence in Cabo Frio will enable us to stock more helicopter parts in Brazil, train workers with the advanced skills to repair parts locally, and meet our goal to increase flight availability for operators.”
Pat Sheedy, President & Chief Executive Officer, Milestone, commented: “As a leading lessor of the S-92 and a long-term partner to operators across South America, Milestone is proud to support the development of Sikorsky and Heli-One’s centre of excellence in Cabo Frio. With almost half of the region’s S-92 fleet under our ownership, we see first-hand the aircraft’s proven performance and reliability, alongside the critical importance of strong, locally based support infrastructure following many years of demanding offshore energy operations. This investment will further enhance aircraft availability, reduce downtime, and strengthen the resilience of offshore transport as activity continues to expand. We are pleased to work alongside our partners, Heli-One and Sikorsky, to deliver world-class, dedicated support services closer to our customers.”
Sikorsky ramping up S-92 production
Sikorsky announced in March a new production line for the S-92A helicopter in the United States to meet current and expected demand for the aircraft.
A majority of the global fleet of 275 S-92 operational aircraft is used to transport crews to offshore oil and gas rigs. Coast guard operators fly the aircraft for search and rescue missions. Thirteen countries currently fly their sovereign and political heads of state in the aircraft.
By 2028, Sikorsky will have the capacity to produce 12 aircraft a year of its latest S-92 variant – the S-92A+. The model features a new main gearbox with a minimum of 6,000 flight hours between overhauls. Additional engine power combined with a strengthened airframe, increase the maximum gross weight to 27,700 pounds, ensuring an additional 1,200 pounds of payload or fuel.