The move by CHC comes less than a week after the European Air Safety Agency (EASA) said the Super Puma model should be grounded. That directive came after Norwegian investigators revealed the gearbox as the likely cause of the accident in Norway that killed 13 people.

All H225s – known as EC225s before a rebrand in 2015 – were grounded in the UK by the Civil Aviation Authority after the crash on April 20.

A CHC Spokeswoman said: “CHC is committed to having a resilient, mixed fleet that provides the right aircraft at the right time to meet our customers’ helicopter service requirements.

“In Scotland, over the past few weeks, we have engaged closely with our H225 customers about the immediate term but also looking forward to the future.

“As a service provider to our customers we must understand, accept and respond to their operational requirements and wishes. In the future, when the H225 fleet returns to service and customers wish to fly the aircraft, we will appropriately adjust the mix of aircraft in our fleet.

“Providing a safe and reliable service to our customers remains CHC’s top priority.”

Other helicopter operators are now expected to follow suit.

The Super Pumas future hangs in the balance with a senior source at one helicopter company suggested to Oil and Gas People that the fleet may be grounded permanently around the globe.

EASA have the power to remove their approval for the aircraft to fly which would ground it in most countries it currently operates.

The move may well be the Helicopter companies pre-empting this decision to save face with the offshore workforce after repeated calls to ban the aircraft.