If Sterling no longer has an AOC, does this mean all operations cease until they sort out what problems they are having, and then have to reapply for a new AOC? What are the time frames for all this? I suppose the vulchers will be tendering for the contracts that are not being fulfilled as we speak.
Yes, they cannot fly anything which the AOC covers "for hire and reward". I don't think they would need to reapply from scratch, just prove to the CAA that they have all the required named people in the required roles and have a long-term view on life. Think of it from the point of view that the fare-paying public are relying on the CAA approving the company as able to fly "for hire and reward", meet all the safety requirements, etc etc.
Sterling has long been a company with lots of contracts, and there are some like EAAA and the gas lines which need to be taken up immediately and I'm sure the contracts allow for the need for substitutes. They also did a batch of filming work and live links (eg British GP). The % of work on contracts makes me think that their financial plans rely on their helicopters being out working every week of the year, and thus the cost of these assets sitting doing nothing could bring the tower of cards all tumbling down. They need to get these helicopters leased out asap or the prognosis is a downward spiral I would think.
As for time frames, it took sister company Alan Mann Helicopters
over six months to get their AOC back. They do not have contract work and indeed most/all of their charter fleet are not owned by the company.