Bristow Group's biggest risks in the FY2024 10-K
- Bristow Group faces concentration risks in its small number of aircraft manufacturers, lessors, and offshore energy clients.
- Operations rely heavily on the North Sea and U.S. Gulf, plus international and government contracts.
- Labor relations and foreign ownership restrictions pose significant operational and governance constraints.
The risks most specific to Bristow Group
- Risks Related to Our Business
Our dependence on a small number of helicopter manufacturers and lessors has adversely affected us and could continue to adversely affect us
We depend on a small number of helicopter manufacturers and lessors, exposing us to production delays and supply chain bottlenecks.
- Risks Related to Our Business
Collective bargaining or union agreements covering certain of our employees will be renegotiated in 2025; labor problems, including our inability to negotiate acceptable collective bargaining or union agreements with employees covered by such agreements, could adversely affect us
Approximately 64% of our employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements that will be renegotiated in 2025, risking strikes or work stoppages.
- Risks Related to Our Business
We are dependent upon the level of activity in the North Sea and the U.S. Gulf of America, which are mature exploration and production regions
Our success depends heavily on mature exploration and production regions like the North Sea and the U.S. Gulf of America.
- Risks Related to Our Customers, Contracts and the Offshore Energy Industry
Our UK SAR contract can be terminated at will and is subject to certain other rights of the DfT
Our UK SAR contract accounted for approximately 19% of our revenues in 2024 and can be terminated at will by the DfT upon payment of a fee.
- Risks Related to Our Customers, Contracts and the Offshore Energy Industry
Reductions in spending on aviation services by governmental agencies could lead to modifications of contract terms or delays in receiving payments, which could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations
Government Services contracts generated approximately 23% of our 2024 revenues, exposing us to political budget fluctuations and funding delays.
- Risks Related to Our Customers, Contracts and the Offshore Energy Industry
The demand for our services is substantially dependent on the level of offshore energy exploration, development and production activity
Demand for our aviation services is substantially tied to worldwide offshore energy exploration, development, and production activity levels.
- Risks Related to Our Common Stock and Corporate Structure
Regulations limit foreign ownership of our business, which could reduce the price of our common stock and cause owners of our common stock who are not U.S. persons to lose their voting rights
Federal Aviation Act regulations limit non-U.S. ownership to 25%, risking voting rights and stock price if foreign ownership exceeds this percentage.
All 37 risk factors
Headings as the filing states them, in filing order.
Risks Related to Our Business
- 01Our operations involve a degree of inherent risk, some of which may not be covered by our insurance and may increase our operating costs or adversely affect our liquidity
- 02Failure to maintain standards of acceptable safety performance may have an adverse impact on our ability to attract and retain customers and could adversely impact our reputation, operations and financial performance
- 03Our dependence on a small number of helicopter manufacturers and lessors has adversely affected us and could continue to adversely affect us
- 04A decline in market demand for specific helicopter models in our fleet or our failure to timely develop and implement technological advances could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations
- 05The market value of our helicopter fleet is dependent on a number of external factors
- 06Our failure to attract and retain qualified personnel could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations
- 07Collective bargaining or union agreements covering certain of our employees will be renegotiated in 2025; labor problems, including our inability to negotiate acceptable collective bargaining or union agreements with employees covered by such agreements, could adversely affect us
- 08Foreign exchange risks and controls may affect our financial position and results of operations
- 09In order to support our business, we may require additional capital in the future that may not be available to us
- 10Our efforts to diversify into other aviation services and expand into additional international markets may prove unsuccessful
- 11We are dependent upon the level of activity in the North Sea and the U.S. Gulf of America, which are mature exploration and production regions
- 12Disruptions in the political, regulatory, economic, and social environments of the countries in which we operate, as well as changes in trade restrictions, could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows
- 13We are exposed to the credit risk of our limited number of counterparties, the majority of which are highly dependent on the financial condition of the offshore energy industry
- 14Our failure to dispose of aircraft through sales into the aftermarket could adversely affect us
- 15Our operations are subject to weather-related and seasonal fluctuations
Risks Related to Our Customers, Contracts and the Offshore Energy Industry
- 16Our industry is highly competitive and cyclical, with intense price competition, and our focus on quality of service rather than cost-saving measures could reduce the demand for our services
- 17Our contracts often can be terminated or downsized by our customers without penalty
- 18Our UK SAR contract can be terminated at will and is subject to certain other rights of the DfT
- 19Our customers may shift risk to us
- 20Reductions in spending on aviation services by governmental agencies could lead to modifications of contract terms or delays in receiving payments, which could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations
- 21Our fixed operating expenses and long-term contracts with customers could adversely affect our business under certain circumstances
- 22Significant disruptions in the supply of aircraft fuel could have an adverse impact on our operating results and financial condition
- 23Consumer preferences for alternative fuels, including increases thereto as part of the global energy transition, may lead to reduced demand for our services
- 24The demand for our services is substantially dependent on the level of offshore energy exploration, development and production activity
- 25Increasing attention to sustainability matters may impact our business, financial results or stock price
Risks Related to Legal, Tax and Regulatory Matters
- 26We have experienced cybersecurity incidents in the past, and cybersecurity breaches or business system disruptions may adversely affect our business in the future
- 27We operate in many international areas through entities that we do not control and are subject to government regulation that limits foreign ownership of aircraft companies in favor of domestic ownership
- 28Environmental regulations and liabilities may increase our costs and adversely affect our business
- 29We are subject to legal compliance risks, including anti-corruption statutes, the violation of which may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations
- 30Our business is subject to complex and evolving U.S. and foreign laws and regulations regarding privacy and data protection
- 31Actions taken by governmental agencies, such as the Department of Commerce, the Department of Transportation and the FAA, and similar agencies in the other jurisdictions in which we operate, could increase our costs and prohibit or reduce our ability to operate successfully
- 32Covenants in our debt agreements may restrict the manner in which we can operate our business
- 33Adverse results of legal proceedings could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations
- 34Changes in effective tax rates, taxation of our foreign subsidiaries or adverse outcomes resulting from examination of our tax returns could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations
Risks Related to Our Common Stock and Corporate Structure
- 35Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law may discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our business or changes in our management
- 36Regulations limit foreign ownership of our business, which could reduce the price of our common stock and cause owners of our common stock who are not U.S. persons to lose their voting rights
- 37Our certificate of incorporation includes a forum selection clause, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us
Other Bristow Group 10-Ks
- FY2025 10-K risk factors41 risks5 new1 dropped9 reworded
Bristow added risks regarding capital allocation targets, sustainability scrutiny, and geopolitical conflicts. Government contracts rose to 26 percent of revenue.
Filed Feb 26, 2026
About this page
The headings are the filing's own. The one-line readings and the overview are automated and can be wrong: read Item 1A of the 10-K for the exact wording.