AgustaWestland is exhibiting its current range of helicopters here and showcasing full-scale mockups of the latest additions, the AW189 eight-ton class twin and the AW169 4.5-ton class light intermediate helicopter.
More than 80 AW189s have so far been sold to customers worldwide, particularly in the offshore and SAR markets. Production aircraft for launch customer Bristow Helicopters are being assembled and flight tested. The company says that AW169 development is progressing as planned, with four prototypes having logged more than 470 flight hours, and it is on track to achieve certification next year. Over 100 AW169s have been ordered by operators covering a wide range of applications including EMS, law enforcement, VIP/corporate transport, offshore support and electronic newsgathering.
AgustaWestland has a long tradition in the Middle East market. In recent years it has significantly expanded its presence in the region with several military and commercial models sold or in operation, including the AW109 Power and Grand/GrandNew light twins, AW139 intermediate twin, forthcoming AW169 and AW189, and the Super Lynx 300 and NH90 military helicopters.
The company has a particularly solid presence in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman. More than 210 of its new generation helicopters are on order for the area, with three models in particular enjoying significant success in the Middle East, where some 150 AW helicopters are in service with or on order by major operators. The AW139, whose global sales now exceed 750, with 600 already in service, has proven to be an outstanding success in the Middle East market, this region alone representing around 25% of sales worldwide for a range of commercial and government/military operations such as VIP/corporate transport, offshore transport, EMS/SAR, utility and homeland security.
“Its features make the AW139 an excellent example of modern dual use platforms suitable to meet a range of demanding requirements,” says the company, which sees significant future business opportunities in the region.
“(Our) range of helicopters, which have outstanding performance in hot-and-high environmental conditions, and feature the latest technology, are ideally suited to meet both commercial and government requirements,” it notes.