Press release
Oslo, 10 June 2021
Ole Christian Melhus appointed as managing director of Helitrans AS.
The board of Helitrans AS has today agreed with CEO Richard Simonsen that he will resign from his position with immediate effect. Ole Christian Melhus (49) is appointed as managing director of Norway’s largest domestic helicopter operator with immediate effect. Since February, Melhus has had the role of director of operations at Helitrans and has over 30 years’ experience in aviation and various top management positions at Norwegian.
– Ole Christian has impressed us with his clear, unifying and enthusiastic leadership. During his short time at Helitrans, he has brought people with him and left a clear mark on the organisation. We are pleased that Ole Christian has agreed to lead the company into the next phase, where we will build on our position as Norway’s largest domestic helicopter operator while at the same time growing and strengthening ourselves in the area of helicopter readiness, says chairman Bård Mikkelsen.
– We want to thank Richard for the effort he has put in and wish him the best of luck going forward, says chairman Bård Mikkelsen.
– I am grateful for the trust from the board to lead Helitrans through a necessary strategic change of pace that will contribute to healthy growth and to strengthen us as Norway’s best environment for helicopter services and emergency response. I look forward to building on the solid expertise we have in the company and to working together with the wonderful colleagues we have in Helitrans, says managing director Ole Christian Melhus, who takes up the position immediately.
Helitrans is the country’s largest domestic helicopter company, with a fleet of 25 helicopters and 100 employees at a total of nine bases from Alta in the north to Stavanger in the south. The head office is in Stjørdal in Trøndelag. The company carries out assignments for a number of businesses within the power industry and telecoms, and plays an important emergency response role in, for example, forest fires. Helitrans also offers internal and external cargo flights and sightseeing.
Helitrans is owned by Røysi Invest AS. Melhus will also lead two other businesses in the Røysi group, Swiss Helikopter Norway, which is responsible for the helicopter investments, and the training and education company. In addition, Melhus joins the boards of the two companies.
– Ole Christian has solid expertise in aviation, training and flight safety. In addition, he has broad experience from strategic and operational leadership. His execution ability will strengthen us for healthy growth and contribute to us becoming a competence center for domestic helicopter operations. I am confident that we are even better positioned to deliver products of the highest quality and safety for customers, says owner Oddvar Røysi of Røysi Invest AS.
Investments for the helicopter service of the future
Røysi Invest-owned Swiss Helikopter Norway AS entered into an agreement in 2017 as a distributor of helicopters of the type AW09 in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Greenland. Swiss Helikopter Norway AS has ordered 12 helicopters of the type AW09 and has an option to order a further six. The company is the launch customer for this type of helicopter, which will be operated by Helitrans.
Røysi Invest and Helitrans aim to become a competence center for domestic helicopter operations. Education, training and safety work are then essential. That is why Røysi Invest has ordered two Airbus H125 helicopter simulators. The simulators will be the first of their kind in the world and will help raise the standard and safety culture in domestic helicopter training to the highest level.