Airnorth assists in emergency PTTEP evacuation – Airnorth
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Airnorth assists in emergency PTTEP evacuation

On 10th January 2019, petroleum exploration and production company PTTEP commenced planning to potentially remove over 200 personnel from the company’s Mungalulu Truscott airbase (MTA) due to potential cyclonic activity affecting the region.

Faced with a developing cyclone in the vicinity of the facilities, Airnorth’s long-time client PTTEP formally requested an emergency de-manning of the Montara facility on Saturday 12th January.

Due to the recent arrival of a drilling rig and added activities, the total off-shore personnel count exceeded over 200 workers.

Airnorth and MTA swiftly gained permission from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to conduct the first ever E170 landing into MTA.

The advantage of utilising an Airnorth E170 aircraft in such emergency situations is that it allows the transfer of passengers in one jet with 45-minutes flying time; as opposed to operating three separate E120 aircraft services with a flight time of 75-minutes each way.

One of the many challenges faced in the operation, was obtaining correct boarding stairs for the Airnorth E170 aircraft. Stairs were transported to the airbase via a charted, offshore support vessel from Darwin to Truscott in time for the arrival of the aircraft.

The successful trial and partial evacuation now enables Airnorth to further support PTTEP, its employees and contractors with safe, reliable and efficient air travel via its remote facilities to Darwin, in the face of severe weather systems.

Airnorth has been granted approval to land at Truscott Airport until April 30 2019, purely for evacuation purposes during cyclone activity season.

MTA and Airnorth are currently working together to enable this type of operation to become standard, to provide efficient, safe and proactive emergency assistance where necessary.

For more information, contact:
Teyghan Stadelbauer
Marketing and Communications Manager
Teyghan.stadelbauer@airnorth.com.au

For more information, head to www.airnorth.com.au or call reservations on 1800 627 474.