Her Majesty's Coastguard search and rescue helicopter base in Inverness, U.K., launched a civilian service on April 1, 2015. Since then the base, operated by Bristow Helicopters Ltd., has performed 500 missions, the company said. Crews operate from the new, purpose-built base at Inverness Airport, and provide services on land, at sea and in remote areas.

The Inverness base is one of the busiest, which the director of U.K. SAR contributes to its "proximity to Scotland's popular mountain ranges and coastal areas." It has been able to maintain an availability of over 98%. Bristow delivers SAR operations on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on seven bases. Three more bases are expected to be included on a new contract in 2017.