BAE Systems will lease two Avro RJ100 jets to Cobham Aviation Services.

Cobham will use the aircraft to provide a regular shuttle service between Perth and Barrow Island, to transport oil exploration workers to an Australian offshore natural gas project.

The first of the two RJ100s, configured in a 99-seat layout, will be delivered in early 2010 and the second RJ100 is due in 2011.

Cobham will eventually deploy a fleet of five jets for the offshore contract – two RJ100s and three BAe 146s.