Leo’s Strong Global Position Asserted
Held in Atlanta, Georgia between 06 and 09 March, the Helicopter Association International’s (HAI) Heli-Expo 2023 proved eminently fruitful for Leonardo Helicopters, the rotorcraft subsidiary of Rome-headquartered Leonardo S.p.A.—the Italian multinational company specializing in aerospace, defense and security. The Italian government holds 30.2-percent of Leonardo’s shares and is far and away the company’s controlling interest.
Heli-Expo 2023 saw nearly forty Leonardo helicopters comprising primarily AW139s, AW169s, and AW109s and valuing approximately €470-million sold to numerous global operators. Subject helicopters, which are to be delivered between 2023 and 2026, will be plied to energy-support, Search And Rescue (SAR), Emergency Medical Services (EMS), public service duties, and VIP/corporate transport missions across the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
The aforementioned orders complement sales contracts formerly announced at Heli-Expo 2023 for more than fifty AW09 next-generation single-engine helicopters.
Among Leonardo’s largest Heli-Expo buyers was Saudi Arabia’s THC (The Helicopter Company), a unique enterprise conceived of by the Saudi government’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and dedicated to offering a wide range of commercial helicopter services conducive to the enhancement of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s aviation market and accessibility thereto.
By acquiring six AW139 helicopters and retaining options for another twenty, THC (a moniker that would have benefitted from closer scrutiny by personnel familiar with English idiom) confirmed its intention to expand its AW139 SAR, EMS, and corporate transport fleets across the vast Middle Eastern Kingdom.
Among operators placing Heli-Expo orders for Leonardo helicopters configured for offshore transport missions supportive of the energy sector were: Abu Dhabi Aviation (ADA), which ordered six AW139s; OMNI Helicopters International (OHI), which signed a contract for two AW139s; SFS Aviation, a leading provider of offshore helicopter services for Oil and Gas companies in Thailand, which procured two AW139s; Germany’s HeliService International GmbH, which acquired an AW139 and an AW169; Global Vectra Helicorp Limited (GVHL) which placed an order for two AW169s; and Travira Air of Indonesia, which acquired one AW139.
Ten additional AW169 and AW139 helicopters were acquired by rescue and public service operators across Asia, the Middle East, and the USA. Specifically: South Korean EMS operator UI Helijet purchased two AW169s; the Phoenix Police Department signed a contract for one AW169 and an option for a second; the United Arab Emirates’ Abu Dhabi Police Department acquired one AW139; and Japan’s Mitsui Bussan Aerospace (MBA), Leonardo’s authorized distributor for the AW139, AW169 and AW189 helicopter models in the Land of the Rising Sun, signed a contract for a total of six AW139s with which to capitalize upon various upcoming domestic Japanese opportunities.
South America's SynerJet Latina SA, a new Leonardo distributor covering Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Paraguay, acquired two AW109 GrandNew models and one AW109 Trekker light twin-engine helicopter.
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