Las Vegas, Nevada - Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. today announced that they have entered into an agreement to sell up to 26 S-76D™ helicopters to Bristow Group, to perform the offshore oil transport mission. The S-76D is powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada’s compact and light-weight PW210S, which delivers the best in class power-to-weight ratio and fuel burn with excellent payload and range benefits. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).

Sikorsky and Bristow marked the agreement with an acknowledgement ceremony at the Heli-Expo industry show in Las, Vegas, Nev., one of the biggest trade shows of the year.

“This agreement represents the S-76D helicopter’s introduction into operations in the Gulf of Mexico and other international arenas later this year, and it also further strengthens the more than 40-year relationship between the Bristow Group and Sikorsky Aircraft,” said Sikorsky President Mick Maurer. “Bristow has consistently shown its consideration for safety, leadership, and commitment to its worldwide customers by seeking the latest state-of-the-art equipment, and their choice of the S-76D affirms their commitment to providing the best value to its customers.”

Bristow Group President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Chiles said the S-76D helicopters will join Bristow’s worldwide fleet of more than 500 aircraft. “Without question, the intensive offshore oil and gas transportation mission requires a reliable aircraft that is ready to work an aggressive schedule and the S-76 has continuously proven itself in that role. Bristow’s objective is to provide the safest, most reliable and efficient service to our clients and we look forward to putting the new S-76D with its enhanced capabilities into our operations around the world.”

Sikorsky expects to begin delivering the S-76D helicopters beginning this year.

Bristow Group Inc. is the leading provider of helicopter services to the worldwide offshore energy industry based on the number of aircraft operated and one of two helicopter service providers to the offshore energy industry with global operations. Bristow has major transportation operations in the North Sea, Nigeria and the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, and in most of the other major offshore oil and gas producing regions of the world, including Alaska, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Russia and Trinidad. For more information, visit Bristow's website at www.bristowgroup.com.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture, and service. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., provides a broad range of high technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.