BY AWANG MUHAMMAD SYAHMI & SARAH HAFIZAH CHANDRA
KUCHING: Hornbill Skyways Sdn Bhd, an experienced aviation company owned by the Sarawak government, has reached a significant milestone by securing a five-year contract from Petronas for Offshore Helicopter Services (OHS).
The contract involved six Petroleum Arrangement Contractors (PACs), namely Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd, Sarawak Shell Bhd, SapuraOMV Upstream (Sarawak) Inc, Mubadala Energy (SK320) Ltd, JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration (Malaysia) Ltd and PTT Exploration and Production.
The contract signing ceremony took place at the Raia Hotel and Convention Centre and was witnessed by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg on Thursday (June 15).
Hornbill Skyways CEO Miron Kumer Ganguly expressed his pride in the achievement, noting that this contract not only marked a milestone for the company but also for Sarawak as the first locally-owned company to be awarded such a contract.
“Hornbill Skyways was established in 1977 and we have been in operation for 46 years. In terms of general aviation, we are not the new kid in the industry, but we are the new kid on the block for the oil and gas industry.
“This contract hopes to provide more opportunities for local Sarawakians to venture further into the oil and gas and aviation industries, opening door to more employment and further training for skilled workers.”
Ganguly highlighted that Hornbill Skyways is certified by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) for minor aircraft repairs and component replacements. Additionally, the company has obtained permission from CAAM to transport dangerous goods.
“We also have the quality insurance department to ensure that all legislations are met, and proper purpose processes are equal.
“We have also beefed up our safety department in line with the work that we are looking at and for the processes that we are following.”
During the event, a Technical Services Agreement was also signed between Hornbill Skyways and HAS International Sdn Bhd.
Notable attendees included Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian, State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, Deputy Minister for Transport (Aviation and Road) Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, Hornbill Skyways chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr Abdul Aziz Husain, Petronas board member and Satok assemblyman Datuk Ibrahim Baki.
