Aerospace

British Antarctic Survey seeks aircraft for Antarctica

Posted 18 December 2018

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is seeking to purchase a small passenger aircraft to work alongside its de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Series 110 (Dash 7), to transport science and support teams and cargo between Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic Peninsula and Punta Arenas, Chile.

Above: BAS Dash 7 in Antarctica.
Courtesy British Antarctic Survey

The procurement, part of a major Antarctic infrastructure modernisation programme, will provide operational resilience and capability, for at least five years commencing in the 2020/21 austral summer.

With a budget of £5.5 million, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is inviting bids from either suppliers who can provide an aircraft complete with any necessary modifications to meet its specification, or suppliers who can offer an aircraft capable of modification by others to set of requirements.

Aircraft will carry a passenger and cargo payload of minimum 550kg, and fly 923 nautical miles (nm) from Punta Arenas to Rothera Research Station, landing on a 876m compacted gravel runway.

Rothera Research Station is the hub that supports BAS airborne capability. Its gravel runway supports a fleet of five aircraft, specially adapted for flying in extreme Antarctic climate. Four De Havilland Canada Twin Otters and one De Havilland Canada Dash-7, are each equipped with modifications to allow them to carry out airborne science surveys.

Above: Rothera Research Station in Antarctica..
Courtesy British Antarctic Survey

British Antarctic Survey carries out an ambitious and challenging programme of science. To support this, BAS operates a fleet of five aircraft, specially adapted for flying in extreme Antarctic conditions.

British Antarctic Survey (BAS), an institute of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), delivers and enables world-leading interdisciplinary research in the Polar Regions. Its skilled science and support staff based in Cambridge, Antarctica and the Arctic, work together to deliver research that uses the Polar Regions to advance our understanding of Earth as a sustainable planet. Through its extensive logistic capability and know-how BAS facilitates access for the British and international science community to the UK polar research operation. Numerous national and international collaborations, combined with an excellent infrastructure help sustain a world leading position for the UK in Antarctic affairs.

Below are links to the tender on Contracts Finder and the TED OJEU Notice. They are now live.

• Contracts finder notice reference URL: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/dadd1037-9682-43bb-af6a-218881665355