- Bristow secured early delivery positions via deposit and
will receive some of the first commercially certified Elroy Air
Chaparral aircraft off the production line
- The Chaparral will carry 300 pounds (136 kg) of cargo over a
300-mile (482 km) range with its hybrid-electric powertrain and
simple, redundant vertical and forward-flight propulsors
- Bristow plans to use the Chaparral internationally to move
time-sensitive cargo for logistics, healthcare, and energy
applications
- Bristow has pre-ordered up to 100 Chaparral
aircraft
SAN
FRANCISCO and HOUSTON, Sept. 5,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE: VTOL),
the world's leading global provider of innovative and sustainable
vertical flight solutions, has reserved early delivery slots for
five of Elroy Air's vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) cargo
systems, the Chaparral. Bristow signed a Letter of Intent (LOI)
with Elroy Air to pre-order 100 Chaparral hybrid-electric cargo
VTOL aircraft last year.
The Chaparral will be the first of its kind VTOL aircraft
dedicated to cargo movement to be introduced into Bristow's
aircraft fleet. Bristow plans to use the Chaparral internationally
to move time-sensitive cargo for logistics, healthcare, and energy
applications.
"There is an increasing demand for the movement of
time-sensitive cargo for logistics, health care and energy
applications. Securing these early delivery positions underscores
our commitment to leading the Advanced Air Mobility market and
builds on our 75+ year legacy of vertical lift innovations," said
Bristow Executive Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer
Dave Stepanek. "At Bristow, we're
excited to usher in a new era of vertical lift operations and
collaborate with Elroy Air to meet the emerging market of express
shipping cargo in cities and regions without relying on existing or
new airport infrastructure."
The Chaparral is a "lift plus cruise" hybrid eVTOL cargo
aircraft that leverages the benefits of both conventional turbines
and electric propulsion, for efficient autonomous operation and
longer range. Engineered with an advanced carbon composite
airframe, Chaparral can be configured to ship inside a 40-foot
container or in aircraft for rapid global deployment.
Elroy Air has introduced advanced modular cargo pods that
complement the Chaparral's capabilities. The pods are pre-loaded by
ground personnel and autonomously retrieved by the Chaparral
aircraft before takeoff. Upon arrival at the delivery location, the
aircraft autonomously lowers the pod to the ground. The Chaparral
aircraft then retrieves the next pre-packed pod, creating a
seamless bi-directional conveyor belt through the sky.
"Getting to this stage of the process – reserved delivery
positions secured with deposits, underscores our relationship built
with Bristow and we are extremely pleased to be at this stage in
development," said Elroy Air's VP of Business Development and
Strategy, Kofi Asante. "Bristow's
expertise is a strong catalyst for bringing new aircraft like ours
to the market. Their rotorcraft expertise, global footprint, and
innovative mindset have made them a strong partner and we are
excited for the next chapter together. We look forward to seeing
the Chaparral operate internationally as part of the Bristow
fleet."
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 Elroy Air's
hybrid-electric aircraft, the Company's purchase of aircraft from
Elroy Air, and the anticipated benefits of the collaboration
between the Company and Elroy Air. 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 Elroy Air
Elroy Air is developing
industry-first autonomous aircraft systems and cutting-edge
software solutions, revolutionizing the world of express
shipping. Leveraging hybrid-electric and autonomous vehicle
technologies, their vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL)
systems transcend traditional airport limitations, unlocking
new frontiers in commercial air cargo. From swift autonomous
resupply for troops to dynamic disaster response and firefighting
support, their technology reshapes logistics possibilities.
With headquarters in South San Francisco, California, Elroy
Air is backed by premier venture capital firms including Catapult
Ventures, Marlinspike Capital, Snowpoint Ventures, and Shield
Capital. Strategic investments from industry giants like
Lockheed Martin Ventures and, alongside support from visionary
angel investors including early Uber executives, drive our
mission to provide same-day delivery to every person on the
planet. For more information, visit http://elroyair.com.
Elroy Air Contact
Media:
Casey Sousa
media@elroyair.com
Bristow Contacts
Investors
Jennifer Whalen
InvestorRelations@bristowgroup.com
Media
Adam Morgan
adam.morgan@bristowgroup.com
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SOURCE Bristow Group