Calculator 5 of 10 — commercial marine
Vessel transfer mission calculator
A commercial vessel transfer is priced on the round trip to the ship's position plus the standby held while the vessel prepares, and it is only possible if the ship can take a deck landing or a hoist. Enter the distance offshore, the transfer method and the number of people, and this calculator returns indicative flying time and a whole-aircraft cost band. The master and the helicopter commander decide whether the transfer proceeds, and either may decline on the day.
Merchant and industrial marine transfers — tankers, bulkers, container ships, drillships, research and support vessels — are not yacht work. The vessel is moving, the cargo status may prohibit the operation entirely, and the approval chain runs through the owner or manager, the port or coastal authority and often the charterer.
Mission inputs
The figures above are a preliminary planning estimate for the route, aircraft category and passenger count you entered. They reflect estimated flight time and typical market cost bands — not a live operator quotation. Only the licensed operator that flies the mission can confirm aircraft availability, landing permissions, operational feasibility and final pricing. Use this estimate to scope the trip, then send it to SkyMatch for a managed charter review.
Indicative mission cost band
€5,150 – €8,550
Round trip to a vessel 60 nm offshore, plus 1h standby.
One-way sector
28m
Planning figure at ~130 kt over water.
Total flying
1h 16m
Transfer method
Hoist
- Hoist transfers are a specialist capability with their own crew currency and a much smaller operator pool. Availability is regional and often thin.
- Cargo status governs everything on tankers and gas carriers: during certain operations no transfer is permitted regardless of weather or aircraft.
Preliminary estimate for planning purposes only — not a confirmed price, availability or booking. Final routing, operational feasibility and pricing must be confirmed by the selected licensed operator.
Turn this estimate into a mission request
The figures above are a planning frame, not an offer. Send the mission and SkyMatch reviews it, researches operators holding the relevant approvals and comes back with current options. Your inputs are carried across — nothing needs retyping.
What actually moves this number
- Whether the ship has a certified helideck or needs a hoist — this changes the operator pool, not just the price.
- The vessel's position and whether it can hold or adjust course for the transfer window.
- Standby. Ships run late, and the aircraft is charged while it waits.
- Over-water configuration, flotation and survival equipment for the sector length.
- The approval chain: owner or manager, port or coastal authority, terminal or charterer.
What this tool does not decide
- Whether the master accepts the operation — and the master may decline at any point, including on the day.
- Whether the cargo or operational status of the vessel permits a transfer at all.
- Whether weather, sea state, daylight and diversion planning support the timing on the day.
- Whether passenger training, medicals and site inductions are valid at the time of flight.
- The binding price. Operators quote; this tool frames the budget conversation.
SkyMatch Group is an independent helicopter charter broker and a human-reviewed mission platform. It does not operate aircraft. Every flight is performed by an independent licensed operator, and every introduction is approved by SkyMatch before it happens.
Frequently asked questions
Can any helicopter operator transfer people to a ship?
No. Marine winching, over-water configuration and vessel-specific risk assessment are specialist capabilities held by a minority of operators, and availability is regional.
Is a crew boat cheaper?
Very often, yes. A launch or crew boat is usually the cheaper answer where the vessel is close inshore and the schedule has slack. The helicopter earns its cost when a delay is more expensive than the flight.
Why is the cost shown as a band rather than a price?
Helicopters are chartered whole-aircraft, per mission. The final figure depends on which airframe is genuinely available, where it is based, positioning distance, standby and waiting, fuel and handling, permits and time of day. A band is honest at planning stage; a single number would not be.
Who confirms that this mission can actually happen?
The performing operator, together with the asset owner, site or vessel controlling the destination and the relevant authorities. They confirm aircraft, availability, permits, landing or hoist approval, weather limits and safety. SkyMatch structures and reviews the mission; it does not confirm operational facts.
Does this calculator book a helicopter?
No. It produces a planning estimate. SkyMatch Group is an independent broker and a human-reviewed mission platform: the request is reviewed, suitable licensed operators are researched, and an introduction happens only once SkyMatch approves it. Operators issue binding quotes and confirm feasibility.
Markets this calculator is built for
The same inputs, applied to the industrial regions where these missions actually run.
Related planning tools
Using an AI assistant, or buying through procurement?
SkyMatch is an independent helicopter charter broker and human-reviewed request platform. It does not operate aircraft and does not confirm availability, permits, landing permission, weather, route feasibility or final price — licensed operators do, after review. Estimates and directories on this site support research only.