VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES AND OTHER INVESTMENTS IN SIGNIFICANT AFFILIATES (Details) £ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands, £ in Millions, BRL in Millions		1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended										8 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2014	Apr. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013	Nov. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) Affiliates Nominations aircraft	Mar. 31, 2015 GBP (£)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 BRL	Mar. 31, 2013 USD ($) Extensions	Apr. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 GBP (£) Class_Of_Shares aircraft voting_rights	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) Class_Of_Shares aircraft voting_rights	May. 31, 2004 USD ($) shares	May. 31, 2004 £ / shares	Apr. 30, 2004
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of variable interest entities | Affiliates															4
Number of joint ventures | Affiliates															2
Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]
Noncontrolling interests- beginning balance		$ 7,256					$ 7,256								$ 7,256
Noncontrolling interests expense															(4,707)		$ 4,407	$ 1,042
Currency translation adjustments															(21,604)		(71,617)	18,729
Noncontrolling interests- ending balance				$ 10,684				$ 7,256							10,684		7,256
VIE Financial Information
Cash and cash equivalents								104,146				$ 204,341					104,146	204,341		$ 215,623				$ 104,310
Accounts Receivable Net Current								258,618									258,618							249,317
Inventories								147,169				11,100					147,169	11,100						142,503
Prepaid expenses and other current assets								70,091									70,091							53,183
Total current assets								637,851									637,851							593,096
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates								216,376									216,376							194,952
Property and equipment, net								2,157,101									2,157,101							2,283,252
Goodwill								75,628				56,680					75,628	56,680						29,990
Other assets								143,764									143,764							170,572
Total assets								3,230,720									3,230,720							3,271,862
Accounts payable								84,193									84,193							96,966
Accrued liabilities								224,507									224,507							201,605
Accrued interest								12,831									12,831							11,985
Deferred taxes								17,704									17,704							1,881
Current maturities of long-term debt								18,730									18,730							62,716
Total current liabilities								435,006									435,006							392,690
Long-term debt, less current maturities								845,692									845,692							1,078,173
Accrued pension liabilities								99,576									99,576							70,107
Other liabilities and deferred credits								39,782									39,782							33,273
Deferred taxes								165,655									165,655							172,254
Temporary equity								26,223									26,223							15,473
Revenues				381,719	$ 419,887	$ 446,911	466,996	450,355	$ 460,140	$ 475,636	$ 472,538				1,715,513		1,858,669	1,669,582
Net loss															(77,149)		88,707	187,779
Unconsolidated affiliates [Abstract]
Payments of contingent consideration															9,453		0	6,000
Proceeds from sale of unconsolidated affiliates															$ 0		4,185	112,210
Number of aircraft operated | aircraft															463
Income taxes paid															$ 28,000		34,800	59,100
Cost Method Investment Dividends Or Distributions															2,068		2,068	4,043
Income (loss) from equity method investments															(1,807)		(3,839)	8,666
Earnings from unconsolidated affiliates, net of losses															261		(1,771)	12,709
Dividends from Equity Method Investments															800		5,600	10,300
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates								216,376									216,376							194,952
Gain on sale of unconsolidated affiliates															0		3,921	103,924
Summary of Combined Financial Information Equity Method Investments [Abstract]
Current Assets								200,979									200,979							269,619
Non-current Assets								384,438									384,438							295,416
Total assets								585,417									585,417							565,035
Current Liabilities								189,251									189,251							146,938
Non-current Liabilities								255,318									255,318							266,545
Equity								140,848									140,848							151,552
Total liabilities and equity								585,417									585,417							$ 565,035
Revenue															368,586		499,692	632,832
Gross profit															60,873		99,127	132,760
Net loss															$ 21,871		559	21,728
Equity Method Investment Realized Gain Loss On Disposal Net Of Tax																		67,900
Caledonia Investments Plc
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage in variable interest entity, third party															46.00%
European Union
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage in variable interest entity, third party															5.00%
Nigerian Company owned by 100% Nigerian Employees
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage in variable interest entity, third party															50.00%
VIE, qualitative or quantitative information, purchased percentage from third party	29.00%	2.00%											19.00%
Employee Trust Fund
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage in variable interest entity, third party															2.00%
Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage in VIE															49.00%
Class of shares, number | Class_Of_Shares																							3	3
Ownership percentage in variable interest entity, third party															51.00%
Purchase of deferred stock shares | shares																									8,000,000
Business acquisition, share price | £ / shares																										£ 1
Total amount paid for deferred shares																									$ 14,400
Principal amount of subordinated unsecured loan stock																							£ 91.0	$ 130,800
Interest rate on unsecured loan															13.50%
Deferred interest cost															$ 1,700,000
Call option price held by noncontrolling interest | £																							£ 1.0
Call option guaranteed rate																							3.00%	3.00%	12.00%
Put option guaranteed rate																											10.00%
Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]
Noncontrolling interests- beginning balance		$ 1,457					$ 1,457				$ 1,645			$ 1,492	1,457		1,645	1,492
Payments to noncontrolling interest shareholders															(55)		(59)	(57)
Noncontrolling interests expense															55		58	57
Currency translation adjustments															(47)		(187)	153
Noncontrolling interests- ending balance				$ 1,410				1,457				$ 1,645			1,410		1,457	1,645		$ 1,492
VIE Financial Information
Cash and cash equivalents								91,190									91,190							$ 62,773
Accounts Receivable Net Current								521,989									521,989							565,223
Inventories								100,065									100,065							102,738
Prepaid expenses and other current assets								42,659									42,659							53,776
Total current assets								755,903									755,903							784,510
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates								64									64							4,676
Property and equipment, net								243,357									243,357							251,494
Goodwill								61,242									61,242							29,990
Other assets								78,637									78,637							82,988
Total assets								1,139,203									1,139,203							1,153,658
Accounts payable								379,357									379,357							521,563
Accrued liabilities								154,306									154,306							141,977
Accrued interest								1,489,369									1,489,369							1,698,360
Deferred taxes								1,128									1,128							0
Current maturities of long-term debt								9,643									9,643							10,322
Total current liabilities								2,033,803									2,033,803							2,372,222
Long-term debt, less current maturities								168,245									168,245							155,767
Accrued pension liabilities								99,576									99,576							70,107
Other liabilities and deferred credits								11,948									11,948							7,928
Deferred taxes								14,457									14,457							20,330
Temporary equity								26,223									26,223							15,473
Total liabilities								2,354,252									2,354,252							2,641,827
Revenues															1,441,834		1,512,312	1,324,483
Operating income (loss)															(57,780)		40,524	49,061
Net loss															$ (279,309)		(179,757)	(38,274)
Unconsolidated affiliates [Abstract]
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates								64									64							$ 4,676
Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited | Director one
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of voting rights | voting_rights																							1	1
Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited | Director two
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of voting rights | voting_rights																							1	1
Bristow Aviation Holdings Limited | Caledonia Investments Plc
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of voting rights | voting_rights																							3	3
Number of board of directors nomination | Nominations															2
Bristow Helicopters Nigeria Ltd
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage in VIE															48.00%
VIE, qualitative or quantitative information, purchased percentage from third party		8.00%
Pan African Airlines Nigeria Ltd
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage in VIE															50.17%
Aviashelf Aviation
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage in VIE															48.50%
Option to acquire additional interest in affiliate															8.50%
Bristow Helicopter Leasing
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage in VIE															51.00%
Sakhalin Bristow Air Services
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage in VIE															51.00%
Cougar
VIE Financial Information
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates								$ 61,015									$ 61,015							$ 59,742
Unconsolidated affiliates [Abstract]
Payments of contingent consideration															$ 8,000			6,000
Business acquisition, percentage of voting interests acquired								25.00%									25.00%						25.00%	25.00%
Equity investment ownership percentage								40.00%									40.00%			40.00%			40.00%	40.00%
Potential earn-out payments																				$ 40,000
Business combination contingent consideration arrangement terms																				3 years
Fair value of earn-out								$ 32,500									$ 32,500							$ 26,000
Number of aircraft operated | aircraft															9
Number of aircraft leased from affiliates | aircraft																							8	8
Reporting of unconsolidated affiliate earnings, Time difference															3 months
Income (loss) from equity method investments															$ (2,001)		(710)	1,053
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates								61,015									61,015							$ 59,742
FB Entities
Unconsolidated affiliates [Abstract]
Equity investment ownership percentage																				50.00%
Proceeds from sale of unconsolidated affiliates																£ 74.0	112,200
Number of renewal extensions | Extensions																				2
Renewal extension term																				1 year
Income (loss) from equity method investments															0		0	$ 3,217
Gain on sale of unconsolidated affiliates																	103,900
Helideck Certification Agency (HCA)
Unconsolidated affiliates [Abstract]
Equity investment ownership percentage												50.00%						50.00%
Proceeds from sale of unconsolidated affiliates																£ 2.7	4,200
Gain on sale of unconsolidated affiliates																	3,900
Lider
VIE Financial Information
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates								$ 149,010									$ 149,010							$ 124,248
Unconsolidated affiliates [Abstract]
Business acquisition, percentage of voting interests acquired								20.00%									20.00%						20.00%	20.00%
Equity investment ownership percentage								41.90%				42.50%					41.90%	42.50%					41.90%	41.90%
Number of aircraft leased from affiliates | aircraft																							5	5
Income (loss) from equity method investments															(116)		$ (4,236)	$ 2,898
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates								$ 149,010									149,010							$ 124,248
Lider | Investment in unconsolidated affiliates
Unconsolidated affiliates [Abstract]
Quantifying misstatement in current year financial statements, amount															19,200
Lider | Deferred tax asset
Unconsolidated affiliates [Abstract]
Quantifying misstatement in current year financial statements, amount															6,700
Lider | Accumulated other comprehensive loss
Unconsolidated affiliates [Abstract]
Quantifying misstatement in current year financial statements, amount															$ 12,500
Lider | Tax amnesty
Unconsolidated affiliates [Abstract]
Income taxes paid																		27,000	BRL 62.7
Tax adjustments, settlements, and unusual provisions																		40,200	93.3
Reduction in tax assessment																		13,200	BRL 30.6
Income (loss) from equity method investments			$ (2,200)											$ (17,100)				(13,600)
Proceed from indemnity due to tax assessment												$ 2,500
Lider | Aircraft
Unconsolidated affiliates [Abstract]
Number of aircraft operated | aircraft															50
Lider | Fixed wing aircraft
Unconsolidated affiliates [Abstract]
Number of aircraft operated | aircraft															25
Petroleum Air Services
VIE Financial Information
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates								$ 6,286									$ 6,286							$ 6,286
Unconsolidated affiliates [Abstract]
Equity investment ownership percentage								25.00%									25.00%						25.00%	25.00%
Number of aircraft owned | aircraft																							45	45
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates								$ 6,286									$ 6,286							$ 6,286
Other unconsolidated significant affiliates
VIE Financial Information
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates								65									65							4,676
Unconsolidated affiliates [Abstract]
Income (loss) from equity method investments															$ 310		1,107	$ 1,498
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates								$ 65									$ 65							$ 4,676
Subsequent event | Cougar
Unconsolidated affiliates [Abstract]
Potential earn-out payments																					$ 16,000	$ 10,000