The order, issued by the President of the Board of Directors of the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC), Ana Vieira da Mata, enforces the suspension of the air transport license for passengers, cargo, and mail, effective from July 15 of this year, the date on which Avincis submitted the request to the national sector regulator.
With the decision to proceed with the suspension of the air transport certificate, the company that operated the helicopters for the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) until June 30 of this year will not be able to participate in public tenders or receive direct awards that require holding such a certificate.
Contacted by Lusa agency, Avincis emphasizes that the “suspension of this air operator certificate will have no impact on the ongoing firefighting activities,” adding that “they are fully covered by the necessary certifications and authorizations to operate in Portugal.”
“We remain fully committed to providing an efficient and safe service with our two Canadair planes and two Bell 412 and AS350B2 helicopters, which are supporting Portuguese authorities in fighting fires across the country,” the company states in a written response.
The contract between Avincis and INEM, under which four helicopters were available at the bases in Macedo de Cavaleiros, Viseu, Évora, and Loulé, ended on June 30 of this year.
The new international tender for the operation of emergency helicopters was won by Gulf Med, which was expected to start on July 1, but this did not happen, forcing INEM to proceed with a direct award and rely on the support of Air Force aircraft.
This direct award was intended for the “leasing of three aircraft,” with two expected to operate from July 1 and the third from July 15, until the date indicated by INEM one week in advance.
The contract also states that the operation periods for these three helicopters will end “as it becomes possible to replace them with aircraft” provided for in the contract resulting from the international public tender.
This contract was awarded to Gulf Med for about 77.5 million euros for the operation of four helicopters 24 hours a day until 2030.
