AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the Samsung Techwin Co. of South Korea has taken delivery of the first of two AW139 medium twin engine helicopters. The aircraft was accepted by Samsung Techwin Vice President Wook Cho during a ceremony held at AgustaWestland’s Vergiate plant in Italy. This aircraft will be used to perform corporate transport missions. The second helicopter is expected to be delivered in 2010 and the two AW139s will replace ageing helicopters in the same category.

 This handover adds another leading operator to the list of customers who are operating the AW139 for corporate/VIP transport as well as other purposes. Samsung’s order was also the first one in the commercial market in South Korea, further expanding the rapidly growing success of the best selling medium twin in the country, following orders in the government market placed by the Korean Coast Guard and the Gangwon Fire Fighting Department. Samsung Techwin’s aviation department is a leading commercial helicopter operator in South Korea providing passenger, cargo and VIP transportation services and EMS services with an outstanding safety record. The selection of the AW139 by Samsung confirms its ability to satisfy the most stringent requirements in terms of performance, safety, payload and comfort.