Bristow and Volocopter to Bring UAM Services to U.S. and U.K.

• Bristow places firm order for two Volocopter VoloCity eVTOL aircraft with an option to purchase an additional 78 aircraft
• Bristow and Volocopter will explore eVTOL passenger and cargo transport services in the U.S. and U.K.

HOUSTON and BRUCHSAL, Germany, Sept. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE: VTOL), the leading global provider of innovative and sustainable vertical flight solutions, and Volocopter, the pioneer of Urban Air Mobility (UAM), have signed an agreement to explore and develop passenger and cargo services for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in the U.S. and U.K.

As part of this collaboration, Bristow has placed a firm order for two VoloCity aircraft to be delivered after certification with an option to purchase a further 78 vehicles in the future. Both parties will begin immediate cooperation to build a UAM ecosystem that includes regulatory discussions, infrastructure exploration, and local partnership building.

The joint development agreement covers the exploration of commercial, operational, and eVTOL aircraft maintenance services, including adaptation of the VoloIQ, Volocopter's proprietary digital platform, to ensure Bristow's efficient future operations. This collaboration brings forth a wealth of aviation expertise – Bristow's reliable vertical flight operations and an existing global service network, as well as Volocopter's dedicated development and certification of a safe, quiet, and sustainable eVTOL aircraft.

The eVTOL is a rapidly growing segment of electric aviation. With no emissions in flight and an ultra-low noise signature, the addition of the VoloCity to Bristow's operational fleet opens doors to new routes and service opportunities within urban environments.

Volocopter expects to receive final certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in 2024, while concurrent certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) could enable the Company to start commercial services in the U.S. shortly thereafter.

Dave Stepanek, Executive Vice President, and Chief Transformation Officer for Bristow said: "Launching this collaborative effort with Volocopter marks a major milestone in Bristow's effort to usher in a new era of vertical transportation solutions. Volocopter has taken a pragmatic approach to certification with a simple and elegant initial aircraft design and is leading the pack in its efforts to bring their aircraft to market. We are looking forward to lending our 75+ years of innovation and expertise in bringing new aircraft into service and developing new markets side-by-side Volocopter."

Christian Bauer, CFO & CCO of Volocopter, added: "Our partnership with Bristow and the firm VoloCity orders received propels us forward as we unlock new markets. With this collaboration, Volocopter surpassed 500 pre-orders accumulated including nearly 30 firm orders from reputational partners. I am filled with excitement toward the vast potential of the U.S. and U.K. markets and looking forward to working with Bristow's experienced team as we prepare for operations." 

Forward-Looking Statements Disclosure
This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements represent Bristow Group Inc.'s (the "Company") current expectations or forecasts of future events. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "project," or "continue," or other similar words. These statements are made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, reflect management's current views with respect to future events and therefore are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, such forward-looking statements include statements regarding the capabilities, development, certification, marketing, and future operations of Volocopter's VoloCity eVTOL aircraft, the Company's purchase of aircraft from Volocopter, and the anticipated benefits of the collaboration between the Company and Volocopter. The Company's actual results may vary materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. The Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of the document in which they are made. The Company disclaims any obligation or undertaking to provide any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in the Company's expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which the forward-looking statement is based that occur after the date hereof. You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements because the matters they describe are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond our control. Our forward-looking statements are based on the information currently available to us and speak only as of the date hereof. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict these matters or how they may affect us. We have included important factors in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Transition Report on Form 10-KT for the year ended December 31, 2022 (the "Transition Report") which we believe over time, could cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to differ from the anticipated results, performance or achievements that are expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. You should consider all risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Transition Report and in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), all of which are accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

About Bristow Group
Bristow Group Inc. is the leading global provider of innovative and sustainable vertical flight solutions. Bristow primarily provides aviation services to a broad base of offshore energy companies and government entities. Bristow's aviation services include personnel transportation, search and rescue ("SAR"), medevac, fixed-wing transportation, uncrewed air systems and ad hoc helicopter services. Bristow currently has customers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the Dutch Caribbean, the Falkland Islands, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Spain, Suriname, Trinidad, the U.K., and the U.S. To learn more, visit our website at www.bristowgroup.com.

About Volocopter  
Volocopter brings urban air mobility (UAM) to megacities worldwide. We aim to improve the quality of life for people in cities by offering a fantastic new mode of transportation. For that, we create sustainable and scalable UAM ecosystems with partners in infrastructure and operations. Volocopter's family of eVTOL aircraft will offer passengers (VoloCity and VoloRegion) and goods (VoloDrone) swift, secure, and emission-free connections to their destinations, supported by VoloIQ, the UAM ecosystem's software platform that serves as its digital backbone for safe and efficient operations.
As a pioneer in the UAM industry, Volocopter will launch commercial services within the next few years. Founded in 2011, the company employs more than 500 people in Germany and Singapore, has completed over 1,500 successful public and private test flights, and has diverse investors, including Geely, NEOM, Mercedes-Benz Group, Intel Capital, and BlackRock. www.volocopter.com

Bristow Contacts

Investors
Jennifer Whalen
[email protected]  

Media
Adam Morgan
[email protected]

SOURCE Bristow Group