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Bel Air began with a single pilot and a bold vision, growing over decades to become a leading force in helicopter operations.
Take a journey through the history that shaped Bel Air - all the way back to our humble beginnings.
It all started in 1994...
A newly certified pilot, Susanne Hessellund, launched Bel Air with a clear mission and a single helicopter.
For the first few years, Susanne piloted the helicopter herself, running the company with her husband while also working for major industry players like Maersk and CHC.
Susanne took a leap of faith in 2002, leaving her stable job to co-found DanCopter, a new offshore helicopter company.
She took on roles as co-owner, manager, and pilot, working tirelessly to grow the business together with a growing team.
In 2007, Susanne left DanCopter, and sold all DanCopter shares.
She and the Bel Air team rolled up their sleeves, and transformed Bel Air from a small, scenic flight helicopter company into a robust operation ready for offshore work.
In 2009, Bel Air welcomed the first AW139 helicopter
Specially equipped for offshore operations.
The commitment paid off
when we secured the first 2,5 year offshore shuttle contract with Maersk Oil & Gas in 2010...
followed by a prestigious five year contract in 2011.
These landmark achievements set us on a path of rapid growth.
In 2012, we refined to focus exclusively on twin-engine helicopters, phasing out single-engine models to better serve offshore needs.
The fleet continued to grow, with delivery of our second and third AW139.
In 2014, we further expanded the fleet to five helicopters with the addition of the first two AW189s.
In 2014, we completed the new Homebase at Esbjerg Airport, moving from our original base located in Holsted.
By 2015, we had achieved recognition as the AW189 fleet leader worldwide.
Followed by a significant safety milestone in 2017, where we reached 70.000 safe offshore landings.
2017 proved to have significant challenges in store for us
After losing our three main contracts out of Esbjerg in 2017, we suddenly found ourselves with 75 employees and five aircrafts, but no active contracts. Overnight, our daily operations dropped from 14 flights to zero. It was a challenging moment, but instead of focusing on setbacks, we chose to look for new opportunities and move forward with determination.
Operational experience
In July 2017, we quickly set up a new operational base in Den Helder, Netherlands. Thanks to our team's remarkable adaptability, the base was fully established in just one day, allowing us to begin operations.
Back on track
For years, we operated without a fixed contract out of our home base - just determination, adaptability, and a relentless drive to keep going. Those were challenging times, but our team never lost sight of the bigger picture.
In 2023, we secured the TotalEnergies contract out of Esbjerg—a turning point that marked a major milestone in our journey.
Although we faced setbacks, we came back stronger and moved forward with a clear vision for the future.
In 2024, we celebrated our 30th anniversary
We took delivery of our new AW189 with FIPS
And celebrated 100.000 safe offshore landings
What started as a small team with a big dream more than 30 years ago has grown into a resilient, trusted operator. And while our story began years ago, the next chapter is just taking flight.
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