North Sea oil-and-gas firms have committed to fund a search-and-rescue (SAR) helicopter service, supplementing national SAR cover for parts of the Central North Sea. The SAR helicopter and the dedicated back-up aircraft will be operated by Bond Offshore Helicopters at Aberdeen International Airport and cover a radius of approximately 160 nm. The participating companies have awarded Bond Offshore Helicopters a five-year contract valued at £60 million ($88 million). “The industry will ensure we can respond within our two-hour criteria,” said Robert Paterson, health, safety and employment issues director at Oil & Gas UK. The launch of a new UK-wide SAR service by the Department for Transport in April coincides with decommissioning plans for the BP Miller platform, where another SAR helicopter was based.