Cobham wins gold FIFO contract

Perth-based junior airline Cobham Aviation Services has been awarded a contract to provide fly-in, fly-out services to two Gold Fields Australia mine sites in Western Australia.

The contract will run from August this year until late 2018, operating six return fights a week to the Granny Smith and Darlor mine sites.

The company will land its jet aircraft on gravel runways, and it believes it is the only aviation service provider in Australia with this capability.

It will also be introducing a new jet, the 82 seat RJ-85, to provide faster and more efficient service to the mine sites.

“Replacing our turboprop services with jet services represents great value for money and will increase efficiencies as it enables us to consolidate our FIFO schedule and still travel direct to our sites with gravel runways, while increasing passenger comfort,” Gold Fields Australia executive vice-president Richard Weston said.

Cobham’s general manager of regional services Ryan Both, said the contract with Gold Fields Australia demonstrated that although companies in the resources sector had traditionally used turboprop aircraft, they were now seeking new efficient, safe and cost-effective air transport services to sites operating with gravel runways.

“Cobham’s jet aircraft are larger and faster than many turbo-prop aircraft currently used in FIFO operations to gravel runways in Australia, so they enable our customers to move more people, faster, using fewer services,” Mr Both said.

Cobham has a fleet of over 130 aircraft, and conducts passenger and freight work for Australian clients, including Rio Tinto.

Earlier this year, Cobham lost out to Alliance Aviation services on a three-year contract to supply charter flights for BHP Billiton from Perth to two locations in the Pilbara.

In 2012, Cobham valued its BHP Billiton contract at $65 million.

The company has also undertaken work for the Australian government, the UK ministry of defence, and NATO.