Bristow Helicopters Limited holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence, it is permitted to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 seats or more. The U.S. division of Bristow is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved Part 135 air carrier. On 11 May 2019, Bristow Group entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, affecting North America operations, but leaving overseas operations unchanged. After an aggressive expansion earlier in the decade, demand was cut back as crude oil prices dropped and Bristow Group’s total debt stood at $1.44 billion by 30 September 2018. Bristow completed the UK's Eastern Airways sale on 10 May, and still wants to sell its interest in Australia's Airnorth, hoping for $230 million combined.