Prince William Losing Job? UK Search and Rescue Privatized

Prince William Losing Job?: Prince William is currently one of the military personnel working on Britain’s search and rescue helicopter fleet. Texas-based Bristow Helicopters took over the contract; contract workers may replace many military staff.
Prince William Losing Job? UK Search and Rescue Privatized
Prince William walks across the tarmac on his way to fly a Grob 115E light aircraft, at airbase RAF Cranwell, near Sleaford, Lincolnshire on Jan. 17 2008. Prince William and other military personnel that work in search and rescue may be replaced by contract workers as an American company has taken the contract over from the British military. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

Prince William Losing Job?: Prince William is currently one of the military personnel working on Britain’s search and rescue helicopter fleet. Texas-based Bristow Helicopters took over the contract; contract workers may replace many military staff.

Texas-based Bristow Helicopters announced Tuesday that it will take over Britain’s search and rescue helicopter operations.

It will provide civilian rescue services with a new fleet of 22 helicopters, more advanced than the current fleet, requiring an expected initial investment of $1 billion. The search and rescue fleet, previously operated by the British military including Prince William, will now likely be manned by contract workers.  

The prince may yet hold onto his job.

Bristow’s president and chief executive officer, William Chiles, said in a company press release: “It is planned that some of the military personnel currently involved in SAR [Search and Rescue] in the UK will join Bristow Helicopters to work under this contract, and we look forward to welcoming them into the Bristow family.”

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Bristow provides helicopters mainly for the offshore energy industry. It will begin a transition period for taking over the contract in April 2015 through to July 2017. The contract, awarded by the Department of Transportation, is about ten years in length.

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