v3.8.0.1

Segment Information - Schedule of Financial Information Concerning Reportable Operating Segments (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Sep. 30, 2017 | Sep. 30, 2016 | Sep. 30, 2017 | Sep. 30, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Total operating revenues, net | $ 150,167 | $ 158,093 | $ 431,209 | $ 489,245
Total segment direct expenses | 136,786 | 144,938 | 400,250 | 449,909
Total segment selling, general and administrative expenses | 11,401 | 13,381 | 38,691 | 36,832
Total net segment profit | 2,422 | (509) | (9,291) | 6,084
Interest expense | (8,027) | (7,719) | (24,305) | (22,792)
Loss before income taxes | (4,899) | (7,766) | (31,122) | (15,137)
Reportable Operating Segments [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Total operating revenues, net | 150,167 | 158,093 | 431,209 | 489,245
Total segment direct expenses | 136,348 | 145,136 | 401,806 | 450,183
Total segment selling, general and administrative expenses | 4,622 | 5,027 | 14,813 | 13,894
Total segment expenses | 140,970 | 150,163 | 416,619 | 464,077
Total net segment profit | 9,197 | 7,930 | 14,590 | 25,168
Reportable Operating Segments [Member] | Oil and Gas [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Total operating revenues, net | 75,700 | 77,551 | 222,098 | 249,173
Total segment direct expenses | 81,467 | 82,832 | 236,878 | 262,148
Total segment selling, general and administrative expenses | 1,148 | 1,705 | 4,501 | 4,838
Total net segment profit | (6,915) | (6,986) | (19,281) | (17,813)
Reportable Operating Segments [Member] | Air Medical [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Total operating revenues, net | 70,280 | 74,482 | 192,840 | 220,089
Total segment direct expenses | 51,120 | 56,562 | 152,363 | 172,603
Total segment selling, general and administrative expenses | 3,136 | 3,056 | 9,280 | 8,293
Total net segment profit | 16,024 | 14,864 | 31,197 | 39,193
Reportable Operating Segments [Member] | Technical Services [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Total operating revenues, net | 4,187 | 6,060 | 16,271 | 19,983
Total segment direct expenses | 3,761 | 5,742 | 12,565 | 15,432
Total segment selling, general and administrative expenses | 338 | 266 | 1,032 | 763
Total net segment profit | 88 | 52 | 2,674 | 3,788
Segment Reconciling Items [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Other, net | 710 | 377 | 2,471 | 5,425
Interest expense | (8,027) | (7,719) | (24,305) | (22,792)
Corporate [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Unallocated selling, general and administrative costs | $ (6,779) | $ (8,354) | $ (23,878) | $ (22,938)

X
- Definition Gains on disposition of property and equipment, and other income. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | phii_GainsOnDispositionOfPropertyAndEquipmentAndOtherIncome
Namespace Prefix: | phii_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Total direct and selling, general and administrative expenses. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | phii_NetDirectAndSellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpenses
Namespace Prefix: | phii_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Net selling, general and administrative expenses. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | phii_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpensesNet
Namespace Prefix: | phii_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of income (loss) from continuing operations, including income (loss) from equity method investments, before deduction of income tax expense (benefit), and income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 940 -SubTopic 20 -Section 25 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68072869&loc=d3e41242-110953 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 225 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03(10)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 942 -SubTopic 225 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04(15)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879574&loc=d3e536633-122882 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 225 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04(8)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879464&loc=d3e573970-122913 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of the cost of borrowed funds accounted for as interest expense. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 835 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6450988&loc=d3e26243-108391 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 835 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28555-108399 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 942 -SubTopic 225 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04.9) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879574&loc=d3e536633-122882 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_InterestExpense
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Generally recurring costs associated with normal operations except for the portion of these expenses which can be clearly related to production and included in cost of sales or services. Excludes Selling, General and Administrative Expense. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_OperatingCostsAndExpenses
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses from operating revenues. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Aggregate revenue during the period from services rendered in the normal course of business, after deducting allowances and discounts. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 225 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1(d)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNet
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_SegmentReportingInformationLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The aggregate total costs related to selling a firm's product and services, as well as all other general and administrative expenses. Direct selling expenses (for example, credit, warranty, and advertising) are expenses that can be directly linked to the sale of specific products. Indirect selling expenses are expenses that cannot be directly linked to the sale of specific products, for example telephone expenses, Internet, and postal charges. General and administrative expenses include salaries of non-sales personnel, rent, utilities, communication, etc. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 225 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.4) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 330 -SubTopic 10 -Section 30 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68048583&loc=d3e3636-108311 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpense
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis=us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=phii_OilAndGasMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=phii_AirMedicalMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=phii_TechnicalServicesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis=us-gaap_MaterialReconcilingItemsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis=us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |