Digicel, Helifix ink deal

LOCALLY-owned helicopter company Helifix Operations Ltd last week signed a deal with the Digicel (PNG) Group providing helicopter services to expand the telco’s coverage of its cell phone network across the country.
Digicel chief executive John Mangos said last Friday they chose helicopters because they could easily access high altitude areas.
The contract will engage Helifix’s Bell 212 medium utility helicopters to provide aerial logistics for Digicel personnel and sub-contractors doing site surveys and constructing communication towers in remote areas.
Mangos said this two-year contract will see Digicel complete its rollout programme to construct more towers and also to conduct maintenance on existing towers.
Helifix chief executive Robert Agarobe said work would begin this week “as there is no time to waste if the country needs to move on”. 
He said his fleet would be used in ongoing support activities to ensure that service was  provided and that different helicopters would be deployed depending on the work and its location.