Erickson Contracted for Third Aircrane to Join Bushfire Protection in Victoria, Australia

PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 12, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Erickson Incorporated (NASDAQ:EAC), a leading global provider of aviation services, has been contracted through Australian partner Kestrel Aviation, for a third S64E Aircrane heli-tanker to support firefighting efforts in the State of Victoria, Australia. In total, Erickson has six Aircranes currently working in the country.

“We are proud to help protect the lives and homes of Victoria’s residents during the peak of their fire season,” said Andy Mills, Erickson’s Vice President of Commercial Aviation Services. “Already this year, our crews have been busy fighting fires in Western Australia and New South Wales.”

The third Aircrane, previously stationed in Sydney, New South Wales to fight fires, has been reassigned to Mangalore, Victoria. The Aircrane will be available as required for the remainder of the fire season.

The S64 Aircrane heli-tanker is well known for its firefighting capability. The tank on the Aircrane can hold and drop 2,650 gallons (7,500 liters) of water on fires in a single pass. With specialized snorkels, the Aircrane can also refill the tank in nearby bodies of water in less than 30 seconds.

About Kestrel

Kestrel is a leading force in Australia in these fields. Kestrel provides emergency response and firefighting support with its fleet of fixed and rotary wing aircraft, including the versatile heavy-lift Erickson Aircrane. Operated by highly experienced pilots from state of the art headquarters in Mangalore, this fleet delivers powerful and reliable helicopter firefighting and emergency response capability. Kestrel also provides specialized transport solutions to mining companies and other clients in remote and inaccessible areas. Other Kestrel services include the supply of aircraft, pilots, engineering support, operational backup, training, contract management, safety audits and aviation project management. kestrelaviation.com.au/

About Erickson

Erickson is a leading global provider of aviation services and operates, maintains and manufactures utility aircraft to safely transport and place people and cargo around the world.  The Company is self-reliant, multifaceted and operates in remote locations under challenging conditions specializing in Government Services, Manufacturing and MRO, and Commercial Services (comprised of firefighting, HVAC, power line, construction, timber harvesting, oil and gas and specialty lift). With roots dating back to 1960, Erickson operates a fleet of approximately 80 aircraft, is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, USA, and operates in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and Australia. For more information, please visit our new website at www.ericksoninc.com.

This press release contains certain statements relating to future results (including, without limitation, “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “expect,” “predict”), which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on beliefs of Company management, as well as assumptions and estimates based on information currently available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated, including certain other risks or uncertainties more fully described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K as well as in the other reports we file with the SEC from time to time, which are available at the SEC’s web site located at http://www.sec.gov. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

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Zachary Cotner - Investor Relations
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