Page 20 - Danish Offshore Industry 2016

10-12 months will be characterized by a decline in the number of jobs. However, we expect a major increase of activities when the Hejre feld is to be developed, and the fact is that you have to start having your crews ready some nine months before the day you are going to need them,” explains Susanne Hessellund and goes on: “For the near future we have several short-term con- tracts making up for some of the recession. A lot of activ- ity takes place in the wind sector, so we are fying for Siemens and Vattenfall and serving several installation vessels. We would like to get more involved here, but we have to spend time training our pilots and technicians, too, for them to be ready for the day when we are to provide much more time in the air than today.” Susanne Hessellund, pilot and the owner and the Director of the company. PLANNED EXCESS CAPACITY The desire of being ready as soon as the jobs materialize ready to take off less than two hours later, and we be- is an integrated part of the business plan of Bel Air. Actu- lieve that makes a difference. But, obviously, we are fully ally, the company has as its declared target consciously to aware that in all our activities we have to consider, too, have available excess capacity exceeding what is required how to reduce expenses.” by the contracts in the book. EVERY PERSON BEING A PART OF THE PROCESS “Our Board has allowed me to operate with a capacity The low price of oil naturally makes an impact when it of some 25% for the ad hoc jobs – to us that means comes to transport of personnel, and that calls for the a little more than a single helicopter. It is not normal need for directing the critical spotlight into all corners of for a helicopter operator to have so much capacity not the successful company. earmarked dedicated projects, but one of the arguments is that it keeps our organization alert and fexible and “The entire world is hit hard, and we all know what we thereby better suited to serve our existing clients. All the are in the midst of. That is why all of us try to come up staff knows that we have this extra capacity ready to be with solutions, and together with our cooperation part- activated, as otherwise we do not perform economically, ners we look at how to perform better. We have talked and that is what we work for,” declares Susanne Hessel- to all our suppliers to fnd possibilities for optimizing – all lund who is of the impression that the excess capacity is the way from the helicopter manufacturer to our clients decisive, too, for attracting new clients and new jobs. with whom we have adjusted our efforts. Every single “We are convinced that we can attract new clients, and person in our company is involved, too, and when I take tomorrow the situation may be completely changed. We a look at that process I must say that we have been wel- are preparing both for more jobs in a year or so, and at comed everywhere,” smiles Susanne Hessellund who in the same time for helping out our clients when a need that way is able to maintain her list of clients comprising should suddenly arise. If they call, we will normally be companies needing widely different types of helicopter service. Here fexibility is a key word, too. A necessity when the strategy calls for a broad range of clients. “We do all we can to maintain that broad range parallel FACTS to our three major clients. In that way we are less vulner- / IN 2009 BEL AIR TOOK DELIVERY OF ITS FIRST OFF- able if the three majors should meet with recession. In SHORE HELICOPTER. 2014, in addition to major clients like DONG, Maersk and Hess, we had 14 other clients, and in 2015 the number was / BEL AIR IS OPERATING 5 HELICOPTERS. 9. We always have a back-up plan if anything unexpected should occur, and to us it is a privilege that our Danish ap- / IN 2013 THE DANISH NEWSPAPER BØRSEN AWARD- proval is a European approval, too. Thanks to that we are ED THE COMPANY THE “GAZELLE AWARD” AFTER A able to work in for instance the Netherlands, Germany, GROWTH OF ALMOST 6,000% OVER A PERIOD OF 4 Norway and the UK without meeting any problems,” YEARS. explains Susanne Hessellund who in spite of skydiving oil prices is spotting the lights at the end of the tunnel. / BEL AIR’S TARGET IS TO BE AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATOR READY FOR ANY CHAL- “The year we have now entered would have called for ter- LENGE. minating personnel if we were to run the company based on cold calculations only. That is not the way we run / BEL AIR HAS SPECIALIZED IN AW139 AND AW189 our business. Every member of our team believes in the HELICOPTERS. future, and we help each other fnding sensible solutions like part-time jobs, taking time off in lieu, training during 18 / STEADY COURSE THROUGH TURBULENT TIMES