Bristow Group Inc

Regulatory Matters

Globally, our operations are subject to significant regulations and international treaties and conventions. These regulations apply in jurisdictions where we provide services, operate our equipment or where the equipment is registered or operated. Our results of operations and financial condition are dependent upon our ability to maintain compliance with all such applicable laws, regulations, treaties and conventions. In at least one instance, a Bristow entity has applied for, and received, certain licenses and regulatory approvals in order to satisfy contractual obligations, even though the license or approval itself may not have been strictly required under the applicable regulation. Where these licenses or approvals have been awarded, the relevant Bristow entity endeavors to comply with their requirements.

United Kingdom. Our operations in the UK are subject to the Civil Aviation Act 1982 and other similar English statutes and regulations. We carry persons and property in our aircraft pursuant to an operating license and route license issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (the “CAA”). The holder of an operating license must meet the criteria of Regulation (EC) 1008/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 2008 on common rules for the operation of air services in the United Kingdom (Recast) (Text with EEA relevance) (Retained EU Legislation) (the Regulation). These criteria include, inter alia, an air carrier’s financial fitness, the adequacy of its insurance, and the fitness of the persons who will manage the air carrier. To operate under our route license, the entity through which we conduct operations in the UK, Bristow Helicopters Limited (“BHL”), must be majority owned and effectively controlled by UK nationals.

The CAA institutes safety standards, regulates our UK flight operations and exercises jurisdiction over personnel, aircraft, ground facilities and certain technical aspects of those operations. Changes to UK statutes or regulations, administrative requirements or their interpretation may have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition or on our ability to continue operations in the UK.

Bristow, including all global subsidiaries and affiliates, is subject to the UK Bribery Act, which creates criminal offenses for bribery and failing to prevent bribery. We must also abide by the Criminal Finances Act 2017’s Corporate Criminal Offense rules, which impose criminal liability on a company and associated persons who have failed to prevent the criminal facilitation of tax evasion.

In addition, we are obligated to comply with UK trade-related regulations, including export controls, sanctions and customs regulations that may restrict the export of designated items to certain persons, organizations or countries. A variety of penalties, both criminal and civil, may be imposed on those who violate these regulations.

Norway. Our operations in Norway are subject to both domestic (Norwegian) and E.U. regulations, as Norway is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) and signatory to the European Common Aviation Area Agreement (ECAA). We carry persons and property in our aircraft pursuant to an operating license issued by the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority. As a holder of an operating license, we must meet the ownership and control requirements criteria of Regulation (EC) 1008/2008, as amended and incorporated into Norwegian law. The entity through which we conduct operations in Norway must be majority owned and controlled by E.E.A. nationals.

Netherlands. Our Dutch subsidiary, Bristow Netherlands B.V., in which Bristow Group Inc. indirectly holds a minority shareholding, is subject to Dutch and E.U. laws, including the Dutch Aviation Act (Luchtvaartwet) and Regulation (EC) 1008/2008. Our Dutch subsidiary operates pursuant to an operating license issued by Dutch regulator, Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT). Pursuant to this license, Bristow Netherlands B.V. must meet the requirements specified in Regulation (EC) 1008/2008, including that it be majority owned and controlled by E.U. nationals.

United States. As a certified air carrier, our U.S. operations are subject to the Federal Aviation Act, the rules and regulations of the Department of Transportation (“DOT”) and other laws. We carry persons and property in our helicopters under an Air Taxi Certificate granted by the FAA. The FAA regulates our U.S. flight operations and, in this respect, exercises jurisdiction over personnel, aircraft, ground facilities and certain technical aspects of our operations. As a U.S. air carrier, the DOT is authorized to review our ongoing economic fitness at any time and is also authorized to review substantial changes to our management, ownership or capital structure, among other things. The National Transportation Safety

Board, an independent government agency, is authorized to investigate any aircraft accidents and to recommend improved safety standards. Our U.S. operations are also subject to the Federal Communications Act of 1934, because we use radio facilities in our operations.

Under the Federal Aviation Act, it is unlawful to operate certain aircraft for hire within the U.S. unless such aircraft are registered with the FAA and the FAA has issued an operating certificate to the operator. As a general rule, only aircraft owned or controlled by one or more citizens of the U.S. may be registered under the Federal Aviation Act, and operating certificates will be granted only to citizens of the U.S. For purposes of these requirements, a corporation is deemed to be a citizen of the U.S. if no less than 75% of its voting interests are owned or controlled by U.S. citizens, its president is a U.S. citizen, two-thirds or more of the directors are U.S. citizens and it is under the actual control of U.S. citizens. If persons other than U.S. citizens should come to own or control more than 25% of Bristow’s voting interest, or if Bristow fails to meet any other requirements, we have been advised that our aircraft could be subject to deregistration under the Federal Aviation Act, and we could lose permission to operate within the U.S. Deregistration of our aircraft for any reason, including foreign ownership in excess of permitted levels, would have a material adverse effect on our ability to conduct certain operations within our “Americas” region. Therefore, our organizational documents provide for the automatic reduction of voting rights of shares of our outstanding voting capital stock owned or controlled by non-U.S. citizens, to the extent necessary to comply with these requirements. Although there is limited trading of our common stock, our foreign ownership may nevertheless fluctuate on each trading day, which may result in the reduction of voting rights of shares held by non-U.S. citizens in excess of the 25% threshold pursuant to our organizational documents.

We are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (the “FCPA”), which prohibits Bristow and those acting on Bristow’s behalf from making, offering or promising to make payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business or otherwise receiving preferential treatment.

We are subject to regulations imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and other U.S. laws and regulations that prohibit dealings with sanctioned countries, sanctioned entities and sanctioned persons.

We are subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”), which controls the export and import of defense-related articles, services and technical data. ITAR dictates that information and material pertaining to defense and military-related technologies may only be shared with U.S. persons or organizations unless authorization is first received from the U.S. State Department or a special exemption applies. We are also subject to the Export Administration Regulations (the “EAR”), which control the export of commercial and “dual-use” goods. Persons or organizations subject to U.S. jurisdiction may incur heavy fines for violating the ITAR or the EAR.

Brazil. As a certified air carrier, our Brazilian operations, carried out by Bristow Táxi Aéreo S.A. (“Bristow Brazil”), are subject to Brazilian Federal Law No. 7.565/1986 (the Brazilian Aeronautical Code), the rules and regulations of the National Civil Aviation Agency (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil – “ANAC”) and other laws. We carry persons and property in our helicopters under an AOC granted by ANAC. The holder of an AOC must meet the criteria provided in Brazilian law and ANAC’s regulation, especially those of Brazilian Civil Aviation Regulation (Regulamentos Brasileiros da Aviação Civil – RBAC) Parts 119 and 135. ANAC regulates our Brazilian flight operations and, in this respect, exercises jurisdiction over personnel, aircraft, ground facilities and certain technical aspects of our operations. Our ability to operate our helicopter business in Brazil is dependent on our ability to maintain the licenses and AOC of our operating entity, Bristow Brazil.

We are subject to anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws and regulations, including the Brazilian Federal Law No. 12,846/2013, or the “Brazilian Anticorruption Law”, and to laws and regulations governing the conduct of business by our officers and employees with government entities, including the Brazilian Federal Law No. 8,429/1992, or the “Brazilian Administrative Misconduct Act”. Each of the Brazilian Anticorruption Law and the Brazilian Administrative Misconduct Act impose liability against companies and their officers or employees who engage in bribery of government officials, either directly or through intermediaries, to obtain illegal benefits.

Nigeria. In Nigeria, we are subject to Nigerian laws and regulations governing our services including the Nigerian Oil & Gas Industry Content Development Act (the “Nigerian Act”), which requires that, in the award of offshore energy contracts in the upstream sector, priority shall be given to Nigerian indigenous companies. The Nigerian Act also requires that Nigerian content, such as local ownership in equipment/infrastructure, development and promotion of Nigerian personnel, shall be important criteria in the evaluation process. Additionally, the Nigerian Act allows the monitoring board to penalize companies that do not meet these local content requirements in an amount up to 5% of the value of the contract.

Environmental Regulation

Our business is subject to international and U.S. federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to environmental protection and occupational safety and health. We are highly dependent on the offshore energy industry, which is also subject to such laws and regulations, including those that govern the discharge of oil and pollutants into navigable waters. Certain of our business operations, including the operation and maintenance of aircraft, require that we use, store and dispose of materials that are subject to environmental regulations. Failure to comply with these environmental laws and regulations may result in the imposition of administrative, civil and criminal penalties, regulatory enforcement actions in the form of injunctions and cease-and-desist orders, and civil claims arising out of a pollution event. Certain environmental laws and regulations may expose us to strict, joint and several liability relating to releases of hazardous materials or contamination conditions regardless of whether we were responsible, even if our operations were in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations at the time they were conducted. In addition, the operations of our customers in the offshore energy exploration, development and production industry are regulated by environmental laws and regulations that may restrict their activities and may result in reduced demand for our services. To date, such laws and regulations have not had a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Applicable laws include the federal Water Pollution Control Act, also known as the Clean Water Act, which imposes restrictions on the discharge of pollutants to the navigable waters of the U.S. In addition, because our operations generate and, in some cases, involve the transportation of hazardous wastes, we are subject to the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which regulates the use, generation, transportation, treatment, storage and disposal of certain hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (referred to as CERCLA or the “Superfund” law), and certain comparable state laws, strict, joint and several liability can be imposed without regard to fault or the legality of the original conduct on certain classes of persons that contributed to the release of a hazardous substance into the environment. These persons can include the current and former owner and operator of a contaminated site where a hazardous substance release occurred and any company that transported, disposed of or arranged for the transport or disposal of hazardous substances, even from inactive operations or closed facilities, in connection with such contaminated sites. In addition, neighboring landowners or other third parties may file claims for personal injury, property damage and recovery of response cost. We own, lease, and operate properties and facilities that, in some cases, have been used for industrial activities for many years. Hazardous substances, wastes, or hydrocarbons may have been released on or under the properties owned or leased by us, or on or under other locations where such substances have been taken for disposal. In addition, some of these properties have been operated by third parties or by previous owners whose treatment, storage and disposal or release of such substances was not under our control. These properties and the substances and wastes disposed or released on them may be subject to CERCLA and analogous state laws. Under such laws, we could be required to remove previously disposed substances and wastes, remediate contaminated property, or perform remedial activities to prevent future contamination.

We believe that our operations are currently in material compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations. We do not expect that, to comply with environmental laws and regulations, we will be required to make capital expenditures in the near future that are material to our financial position or operations; however, given a potential longer-term trend of more expansive and stringent environmental laws and regulations, we cannot predict the ultimate cost of complying with these laws and regulations. There can be no assurance, however, that any future laws, regulations or requirements, or that any discharge or emission of pollutants by us (or our customers) will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position or our results of operations.

Other

We are subject to state and local laws and regulations including, but not limited to, significant state regulations for our emergency response services. In addition, our operations in other markets are subject to local governmental regulations that may limit foreign ownership of aviation companies. Because of these local regulations, we conduct some of our operations through entities in which citizens of such countries own a majority interest and we hold a noncontrolling interest, or under contracts which provide that we operate assets for the local companies and conduct their flight operations. Changes in local laws, regulations or administrative requirements or their interpretation may have a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition or on our ability to continue operations in these areas.