CARLISLE is set to be a temporary home for a new seasonal helicopter base to help improve search and rescue missions.

The Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA), an executive agency of the Department for Transport, have signed a £1.6billion contract with UK company Bristow Helicopters Ltd, with aims of bringing a base to Carlisle and also Fort William, Scotland.

The MCA have said the locations were two of its busiest over summer period and the new contract will see the UK search and rescue region benefit from both innovation and advances in technology to save more lives, even more quickly.

All helicopter bases under the MCA will continue to be operational 24 hours a day, with the Fort William and Carlisle site operating 12 hours a day from April to September. 

The transition to the new contract will start in September 2024.

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Drones have also became a recent addition of HM Coastguard’s aviation fleet in March 2022, with Bristow Helicopters Ltd looking to continue to support this innovative technology that has aided in search and rescue missions across the country, as part of UKSAR2G.

Damien Oliver, senior responsible owner for UKSAR2G said: "We know there are people alive today because an HM Coastguard helicopter came to their rescue.

"When looking at the next decade of service and rescue services, the thought of the future people whose lives may well also be saved as a result of this contract was a huge incentive to make sure this will build on that success and improve it still further.

"I am also delighted that we can continue to support the work of our partners across Government in all the work that they do.

"This is the excellent result from an 18-month procurement to deliver a new highly capable and innovative search and rescue aviation service.

"The new service will build on the success of the current arrangements that have been in place since 2015," he said.

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