PremiAir, the UK’s leading helicopter charter company, is flying its twin-engined helicopters almost shuttle style between London and Dublin for executives stranded by the continuing closure of controlled UK airspace owing to Iceland’s volcanic ash cloud. Since Friday 16th April the company has also carried out flights to and from Germany, Belgium and Paris, that is until the French ATC stopped all VFR (Visual Flight Rules) traffic.

“We had an idea to position a few helicopters over in Calais to bring people back to the mainland, but have been prevented to do that since the closure of French airspace,” said Neil Gibson, PremiAir’s Head of Charter and Management.

PremiAir grounded its helicopter fleet on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning but resumed commercial flying Friday afternoon after undertaking its own risk analysis and after indepth dialogue with the engine manufacturers on its Twin Squirrel and Sikorsky S76 fleet. PremiAir also took advice from its own inhouse meteorologist and the company is constantly monitoring the situation.

PremiAir is operating with some strict operational restrictions – flying its helicopters at lower altitudes. Flying VFR or under VMC (Visual Visual Meteorological Conditions) is flying in weather conditions clear enough for the pilot to see where the aircraft is going.