LEONARDO HELICOPTERS announced various sales for its AW139 and AW169 helicopters at the Paris Air Show in June.
The sales comprising five more AW139s for Italy’s Vigili del Fuoco (National Fire Corps), two additional AW139s for Germany’s Wiking Helikopter Service and a contract for two more AW169s for Noordzee Helikopters Vlaanderen (NHV Group) of Belgium.
On June 18, 2019, Leonardo announced that the Italian Vigili del Fuoco had signed a €75 million contract for five additional AW139 helicopters, for delivery in June 2020.
The additional helicopters will increase the organisation’s fleet of AW139s to eight units and this latest order also includes options for a further seven machines.
Part of the Italian government’s Ministry of the Interior, the Vigili del Fuoco is replacing its ageing fleet of Agusta-Bell AB412 helicopters and has previously placed orders for three AW139s, two of which have already been delivered.
The new helicopters will be used for maritime and mountain search and rescue, medical rescue, firefighting and disaster relief missions.
On June 19, 2019, Leonardo also announced that offshore transport helicopter company Wiking Helikopter Service GmbH had signed a €30 million contract for two additional AW139s, bringing its fleet to a total of six units.
Wiking will utilise the additional helicopters in the North and Baltic Seas on offshore transportation and Wiking also provides sea pilot transfer, wind turbine servicing and emergency medical services operations.
The two helicopters are expected to be delivered in 2019 and 2020. According to Leonardo, more than 1,100 AW139s have been ordered, by more than 270 customers in 70 countries, to date.
Also, on June 19, 2019, Leonardo announced the sale of two additional AW169 light intermediate helicopters to NHV Group, with deliveries to occur between 2019 and 2020.
The pair will be used to provide offshore transportation services in the UK and North Sea areas, Leonardo said.
With the additional helicopters, NHV will have a fleet of five AW169s, with the initial three already in service in Norway with subsidiary company Airlift AS and utilised for harbour pilot shuttle operations.
Leonardo reported that it has sold more than 200 AW169s, to 80 customers and in 30 counties around the world. Nigel Pittaway
