Nomad Aviation

What Nomad Aviation does

Nomad Aviation Ltd is a privately held specialist aviation company founded in June 2006 by John Forsyth and Garry Mahoney, headquartered in Singapore and operating across Southeast Asia and North America. The company provides turnkey heavy-lift helicopter services — including vertical reference external load operations, precision placement, disaster relief mobilization, aerial firefighting, and hydro-electric network construction support — to enterprise construction firms, electrical network construction providers, government disaster response agencies, and firefighting organizations. Its core fleet comprises Sikorsky S-61A and five Airbus AS 332 Super Puma heavy-lift helicopters, supplemented by PC12 Turboprops, AS350B3s, Bell 205 A++ aircraft, and UAVs, with enhanced performance modifications and proprietary 4,000-litre multi-drop water buckets developed in-house for SE Asian firefighting conditions.

The company generates revenue through project-based charter contracts and quote-driven hourly flight fees, with no publicly disclosed pricing tiers; customers request estimates via the company website for custom project quotes covering location, duration, and operational complexity. Maintenance and operational support is delivered through facilities in Singapore (regional HQ), Subang Airport in Malaysia, and McMinnville, Oregon in the United States, following the 2011 acquisition of Precision Helicopters, which established the North American operation under director David Rath (joined 2010). The company markets primarily through industry reputation and direct enterprise engagement, supported by an Instagram presence showcasing operational footage, and emphasizes an unblemished safety record since inception as a core brand attribute.

Name

Nomad Aviation

Legal name

Nomad Aviation Ltd

Website

https://nomad-aviation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nomad Aviation is a Singapore-based specialist helicopter operator founded in 2006, providing turnkey heavy-lift services — construction, disaster relief, firefighting, and hydro-electric network support — to enterprise and government clients across Southeast Asia and North America using Sikorsky S-61A and AS332 Super Puma fleets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heavy-Lift Helicopter Services

NAICS

Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation (481219), Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation (481212)

SIC

Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Helicopter Charter & Sightseeing (TLAFABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Heavy-Lift / Outsize Air Cargo Carriers (TLADAAAF), Heavy-Lift & Outsize Cargo Airlines (THABAEAG)

Keywords

• Heavy-lift helicopter services
• Aerial construction services
• Disaster relief aviation
• Aerial firefighting services
• Helicopter charter services

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Heavy-Lift Helicopter Services: Project-based helicopter services including construction/precision placement, disaster relief, fire fighting, and hydro-electric network construction. Revenue is generated through charter contracts, hourly flight fees, and project-based pricing based on lifting capabilities of up to 5,000 kg.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Nomad Aviation provides turnkey heavy-lift helicopter charter services using Sikorsky S-61A and Airbus AS 332 Super Puma aircraft capable of lifting up to 5,000 kg. Core service lines include vertical reference external load operations for construction and precision placement, rapid mobilization for disaster relief (typhoons, cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis), aerial firefighting using proprietary 4,000-litre multi-drop water buckets, and hydro-electric network construction including pole setting, transmission tower construction, and long-span wire stringing.

Product overview

Nomad Aviation is a specialist aviation company offering turnkey heavy-lift helicopter services across Southeast Asia and North America, operating primarily Sikorsky S-61A and Airbus AS 332 Super Puma aircraft. The product portfolio is organized around two core helicopter platforms — the Sikorsky S-61A (medium-lift, up to 22,000 lbs gross weight) and the Airbus AS 332 Super Puma family (up to 20,600 lbs gross weight, greater range of 420 nm) — supplemented by four specialized service lines: Construction/Precision Placement (aerial lift up to 5,000 kg), Disaster Relief (rapid mobilisation for natural disasters), Fire Fighting (proprietary 4,000-litre water buckets with telemetry), and Hydro-electric Network Construction (transmission tower and power line build support). The company also develops custom equipment such as its own multi-drop water buckets, differentiating its firefighting service from standard market offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Construction / Precision Placement Services Vertical reference external load operations providing aerial construction and precision lift and placement of loads up to 5,000 kg, covering telecommunication towers, gondola lifts, rooftop air-conditioning units, concrete pouring, construction materials, tooling, and general supplies in remote terrain and urban settings. Targeted at enterprise construction companies undertaking projects in remote or challenging terrain.
• Disaster Relief Services Rapid mobilisation of crews and heavy-lift helicopter assets to provide life-saving assistance in response to typhoons, cyclones, earthquakes, and tsunamis across Southeast Asia. Targeted at government agencies, disaster response organizations, and humanitarian groups.
• Fire Fighting Services Aerial firefighting operations using AS332 Super Puma and S61A aircraft equipped with Nomad's proprietary 4,000-litre multi-drop water buckets, onboard telemetry, GPS, and video recording for drop analysis. Includes belly tank-equipped and longline bucket configurations. Targeted at firefighting agencies and organizations in SE Asian wildfire and bushfire scenarios.
• Hydro-electric Network Construction Services Full-scope electrical network construction lifting operations in environmentally sensitive and remote locations, including concrete foundation pouring, pole setting, transmission tower construction, long span wire stringing, and relocation of construction/earthmoving plant and building materials. Targeted at electrical utility companies and network construction providers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lifting capabilities up to 5,000 kg
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Precision HelicopterscoreOthers · 1 January 2011Precision Helicopters was acquired by Nomad Aviation in early 2011 as part of the company's expansion into North America, spearheaded by David Rath who joined in 2010 to lead North American growth. This acquisition established Nomad's presence in the North American market.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bristow Group: Bristow Group is a large, publicly listed global helicopter operator serving offshore oil & gas, search and rescue, and government customers. Overlaps with Nomad in heavy-lift helicopter services, infrastructure support, and SAR/disaster response, though Bristow operates at much greater scale across multiple regions.
• Air Methods: Air Methods is the largest US air medical helicopter operator with broad helicopter services exposure. Comparable in helicopter flight operations and aviation services scale, though focused on HEMS rather than heavy-lift external load like Nomad.
• PHI Aviation: PHI Aviation is a major helicopter operator focused on offshore energy and air medical services with significant North American presence. Comparable to Nomad as a helicopter services provider using medium and heavy-lift platforms, with overlap in utility and infrastructure mission work.

Direct peers

• CHI Aviation: CHI Aviation operates heavy-lift helicopters including the S-61 and Mi-26 globally for firefighting, disaster relief, and utility construction. Direct competitor to Nomad in heavy-lift charter, external load work, and aerial firefighting on similar aircraft types.
• Helitak Firefighting: Helitak designs and manufactures aerial firefighting equipment, including specialised water buckets and tank systems, and supports heavy-lift helicopter firefighting missions in Australia. Comparable to Nomad on the firefighting side through custom water-bucket technology and similar SE Asian/Australian mission profiles.
• Heli-Lift Australia: Heli-Lift is an Australian specialist heavy-lift helicopter operator focused on powerline construction, firefighting, and precision external load operations across the Asia-Pacific region. Closely comparable to Nomad in fleet composition (S-61A), service mix, and APAC geographic focus.
• Helicopter Express: Helicopter Express is a US-based helicopter operator providing heavy-lift external load services, utility line construction support, and forestry missions using Boeing CH-47 and medium-lift platforms. Directly comparable to Nomad in precision placement, powerline construction, and heavy-lift helicopter services.
• VIH Aviation: VIH Aviation is a Canadian heavy-lift helicopter operator using S-61 and similar medium-lift platforms for forestry firefighting, utilities, and infrastructure support. Direct competitor to Nomad in the heavy-lift external load segment with very similar mission profiles and aircraft types.
• Erickson Incorporated: Erickson is a US-based manufacturer and operator of heavy-lift helicopters, including the S-64 Skycrane, supporting firefighting, utility construction, and disaster response. Comparable to Nomad in firefighting and external load heavy-lift operations using legacy Sikorsky platforms.

Regional players

• Trans Pacific Airlines: Trans Pacific Airlines operates as a Pacific Rim regional charter and helicopter services provider. Adjacent to Nomad in APAC geography with overlapping helicopter charter capabilities and regional mission focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/nomadaviation_332
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nomad-aviation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nomad Aviation