AW139 and AW169 orders

The major rotary-wing news event at the recent LIMA exhibition in Malaysia was Weststar’s order for three AW169s and two AW139s. Pictured is one of the company’s earlier AW139s, appropriately registered 9M-WAS, at the 2015 LIMA show.
Nigel Pittaway

MALAYSIA’S WESTSTAR Aviation Services signed an order for three AW169 and two AW139 helicopters at the 2019 Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition (LIMA 19). The contract was signed on March 27, 2019, and is valued at around €50 million, according to Leonardo. The deal was signed at the show in the presence of Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahatir Mohamad.

The helicopters will be used for offshore operations in West Africa and the Middle East. The three AW169s will service Westar’s contract with ExxonMobil & Noble for offshore helicopter services in Equatorial Guinea and the AW139s will be operated on behalf of Al-KhafiJoint Operations in Saudi Arabia. Dr Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim, Group Managing Director of the Weststar Group, said: “This procurement further strengthens the partnership between Weststar Aviation Services and Leonardo and is a key factor in Weststar’s overseas business expansion. The AW169 and the AW139 twin-engine helicopters are the most successful newgeneration models in their class worldwide, and the most demanded helicopter types in the oil and gas industry …We are pleased to purchase yet more helicopters from Leonardo to support our offshore helicopter operations.”

Weststar Aviation Services was formed in 2003 and today operates a total of 33 AW139, AW169 and AW189 helicopters from bases in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.