First Reserve may be american but the European operations of CHC are now dutch !!
European law requires that each holder of an aviation license issued by a member state of the European Union or the European Economic Area be both majority owned and effectively controlled by member states of the EU or EEA or by nationals of such member states. Up until the acquisition by First Reserve Corporation, CHC accomplished this requirement through the Irish citizenship of the Dobbin family. Following the acquisition, Mr. xxxxx, a Dutch national has invested a 50.1% participation in CHC’s European operating entities through a Dutch Holding company named EEA Helicopter Operations BV (“EEA”) which will be the parent company of CHC Scotia Limited, CHC Ireland Limited, CHC Helikopter Service AS, CHC Denmark As and CHC Helicopters Netherlands BV.
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This structural change will not impact your terms and conditions of employment, which will remain with the legal entity in which you are employed today, nor your day-to-day activities carried out to support our valued customers. The management structure of CHC Scotia Limited, CHC Ireland Limited, CHC Helikopter Service AS, CHC Denmark As and CHC Helicopters Netherlands BV remains the same and the company will continue to fly under the CHC logo working together with CHC to grow our operations. As of the close of the transaction, CHC will continue to supply the vast majority of our helicopters, and Heli-One will provide service on those helicopters.