Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) has approved the search and rescue (SAR) configuration for the Sikorsky S-92A helicopter. The certification now enables the operation of S-92 helicopters in Brazil in all production configurations, including offshore oil and gas transportation, search and rescue, regional airline passenger service and VIP transportation.

ANAC certified the S-92A aircraft for SAR missions on 28 March, following previous verification to 27,700 lbs Maximum Gross Weight (MGW) load allowance in December 2018, as well as certification of Sikorsky's Rig Approach software auto-pilot feature in October 2014, expanding the full range of capabilities of the S-92A helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky to Brazil.

“For more than 47 years, Sikorsky helicopters have been the workhorses of the Brazilian offshore oil transport market, first with the S-58T in 1972, the S-76 and S-61 since 1979, and over the last 10 years with the larger, further-reaching S-92 heavy aircraft. These new certifications along with the announcement of the forthcoming S-92 A+/B, help ensure that that the S-92 will continue to be the aircraft of choice in Brazil and around the world for safe, reliable, deep water offshore oil exploration,” explains Adam Schierholz, Sikorsky regional executive for Latin America.

The S-92 was certified in Colombia in November 2016 and in Mexico in November 2017. In 2018, the OEM added an S-92 blade repair capability in Brazil and relocated and expanded its Brazil-based forward stocking location nearer to Brazilian operators, including Lider Aviation, Omni Helicopters International and CHC Helicopter. Eight Brazilian commercial operators currently fly a total of 90 Sikorsky aircraft throughout the country.

Sikorsky has delivered nearly 300 S-92 helicopters since 2004. With a strong safety record and very good dispatch availability, the multi-mission S-92 aircraft is a favoured aircraft in its size class for offshore oil worker transportation. The model also performs SAR missions, head of state missions and a variety of transportation missions for utility and airline passengers.