Sikorsky Aircraft has
has been selected to provide U.S. Helicopter Corporation with four
new S-76C++ helicopters for a new airline service operating between
Manhattan and New York City area airports.
Sikorsky and U.S. Helicopter announced the selection during a
signing ceremony at the Heli-Expo 2006 trade show. U.S. Helicopter
plans to start the airline service March of this year in
partnership with American Airlines and with a fleet of S-76B
aircraft which will be augmented with C++ models beginning in
2007.
"It is a privilege to be involved in one of the most interesting
and exciting ventures in the helicopter industry in years, and we
thank U.S. Helicopter for the opportunity to be part of this
exciting launch," said Jeff Pino, Sikorsky's senior vice president
for strategy, marketing and commercial programs.
"We are extremely pleased to partner with Sikorsky. After three
years of extensive review we selected Sikorsky's S-76C++ for three
reasons. One was Sikorsky's willingness and vision to see the need
for U.S. Helicopter's Scheduled Service product. The second was the
fact that Sikorsky's S-76C++ is the premier helicopter of choice to
serve our needs and lastly, Sikorsky's consistency in aircraft
performance, economics and superior support levels were unmatched,"
said U.S. Helicopter President and CEO Jerry Murphy.
U.S. Helicopter's partnership with American Airlines will enable
travelers to take an eight-minute helicopter shuttle between JFK
International Airport and the Wall Street helipad. American
passengers traveling from the new American Terminal 9 at JFK can go
through security and check-in at the Manhattan Wall Street
Heliport, where they will obtain boarding passes and baggage
receipts for their final destination. Passengers landing at JFK can
pick up the helicopter shuttle to Manhattan outside the Admirals
Club in Terminal 9.
The company expects to expand service in April with flights
between Kennedy and the East 34th Street Heliport, and to add
service to and from La Guardia and Newark Liberty International
airports later this year.
"U.S. Helicopter has made the right choice by serving this
market with the S-76C++," Pino said.
"The S-76 helicopter has always set the industry standard for
corporate and commercial transport. The C++ has the whole package;
smooth ride, quiet, comfortable cabin, superb reliability and
dispatch rates, easy to maintain and efficient to operate."