After a successful participation at Heli-Expo 2023, which took place in Atlanta between March 7th and 9th, Leonardo announces orders for nearly 40 aircraft of various models for different operators in the Middle East, Asia, Americas and Europe. The helicopters are AW139, AW169, AW109 GrandNew and AW109 Trekker and will be used primarily for power support, rescue and public service tasks and VIP transport operations. The combined orders have a total value of approximately €470 million, with deliveries between 2023 and 2026, and reflect the company’s growth in the commercial helicopter market.
All these orders add to preliminary sales contracts already announced at Heli-Expo, totaling more than 50 next-generation AW09 single-engine helicopters for customers around the world. In addition, THC has confirmed its intention to further expand the presence of its AW139 fleet in Saudi Arabia by adding six helicopters and a further 20 options for SAR, EMS and corporate transport actions over the next 18 months.
Nearly 25 aircraft will perform offshore transport missions with a variety of operators supporting the energy sector in various regions. The global AW139 fleet has received new orders in the Middle East, Brazil, Thailand, Indonesia and Germany, confirming the platform’s worldwide appreciation and the model’s unrivaled competitiveness for oil and gas operations. In addition, the AW169 continues to be the preferred aircraft in its class for offshore transport and wind farm support in both Europe and Asia.
Among operators ordering Leonardo helicopters configured for offshore operations, Abu Dhabi Aviation (ADA) has expanded its fleet of AW139s with an order for a further six helicopters with deliveries scheduled for the period 2024-2026. OMNI Helicopters International (OHI) has signed a contract for two AW139s to carry out offshore transport missions in Brazil with deliveries scheduled for 2024. This latest order follows a significant expansion of OHI’s Leonardo fleet, adding a total of six AW139s and two helicopters super-medium AW189s, which will be acquired between 2021 and 2022. Two more AW139s have been ordered by SFS Aviation, a leading provider of offshore helicopter services, to oil and gas companies in Thailand. These aircraft, due for delivery this year, will increase the user fleet to a total of seven AW139s.
In Indonesia, Travira Air has signed a contract for an additional AW139, due for delivery in 2024. HeliService international GmbH (HeliService) in Germany is further strengthening its range of offshore transport services with an order for two more Leonardo helicopters, including an AW139 and an AW169, also due for delivery in 2024. HeliService has been operating AW139s and AW169s for missions to support offshore wind farms in the North Sea for the last few years, offering excellent operational capability and safety standards with continued expansion and well successful in Asia and the US, where three new AW169s are expected to be in service from summer 2023. The success of the AW169 in offshore operations was also confirmed in India, where Global Vectra Helicorp Limited (GVHL) made a order for two AW169s to support transport operations in the energy industry sector. Delivery of the aircraft is expected to be completed later this year.
The AW169 and AW139 also strengthen their presence in the rescue and public service markets with new orders in Asia, the Middle East and the US, totaling ten units.
In South Korea, EMS (Emergency Medical Service) operator UI Helijet has signed a contract for two AW169s, which are expected to be delivered in 2025 and enter service from 2026. UI Helijet, as operator of the National Medical Center of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, was the first EMS operator to use Leonardo’s helicopters in the country. The Phoenix Police Department signed a contract for 2 for an AW169 and an option for a second. The model will be operated by the Phoenix Police Tactical Air Support Department and will be the largest and most modern aircraft in the corporation’s helicopter fleet, joining the AW109 Power helicopter acquired in 2005. The excellent capabilities of the AW139 helicopter have been confirmed by the Phoenix Police Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, which performed with a new order. The model is very successful in the country, where it is used in a variety of roles, including law enforcement and rescue services. Mitsui Bussan Aerospace (MBA), authorized distributor of the AW139, AW169 and AW189 helicopter models in Japan, jointly announced with Leonardo recently signed orders for a total of six AW139s, with the aim of fulfilling future opportunities in the country.
In Latin America, Leonardo’s portfolio consolidated its success, especially in the VIP/corporate transport market, leveraged by the unique value proposition of the Agusta brand, with the sale of three helicopters to SynerJet Latina SA, a new distributor present in Colombia, Peru , Chile and Paraguay. This order includes two twin-engine AW109 GrandNew aircraft and one AW109 Trekker, with deliveries expected between late 2024 and the second quarter of 2025.
About Leonardo:
Leonardo, a global high-tech company, is among the world’s leading players in Aerospace, Defense and Security and Italy’s leading industrial company. Organized into five business divisions, Leonardo has a significant industrial presence in Italy, the UK, Poland and the US, where it also operates through subsidiaries including Leonardo DRS (defense electronics), and joint ventures and partnerships: ATR, MBDA , Telespazio, Thales Alenia Space and Avio. Leonardo competes in the most important international markets, taking advantage of its areas of technological and product leadership (Helicopters, Aircraft, Aerostructures, Electronics, Cybernetic Security and Space). Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange (LDO), in 2020 Leonardo recorded consolidated revenues of €13.4 billion and invested €1.6 billion in Research and Development. The company has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) since 2010 and is confirmed among the global sustainability leaders in 2021. Leonardo is also included in the MIB ESG index.