AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that VTB Leasing has taken delivery of its AW139 medium twin helicopter. This aircraft will be used to perform corporate and passenger transport missions in the region of Moscow. The event marks the delivery of the first AW139 sold in the Russian helicopter market where a total of six helicopters of this type have been ordered so far in just two years. Two of them have been purchased by STC Rossiya, the Russian operator in charge for managing the Presidential fleet, and are expected to be delivered by early 2012. The AW139 was selected after an extensive and in-depth analysis and it was recognized as the most suitable and reliable helicopter for the Russian environment and requirements. Moreover, VTB Leasing’s AW139 is also the first VVIP-configured aircraft of this model featuring the FIPS (Full Icing Protection System), which allows flights in known icing conditions with real all weather capability, meaning the aircraft will successfully accomplish the mission even in the most demanding conditions when other types would be confined to the hangar. Both the helicopter and the icing protection system recently received Russian certification and the AW139 is now the benchmark in its category to operate in the harsh environmental and weather conditions of Russia.

Emilio Dalmasso, Senior Vice President Commercial Business Unit, AgustaWestland said “We are proud to deliver the first AW139 sold in Russia to such a leading customer. Achieving operational readiness in the promising Russian market, with its impressive growth potential, is a significant milestone for the type which is set to provide unprecedented levels of performance, technology and operational effectiveness for today’s and future requirements.” Extensively tested in the most extreme conditions such as those encountered in Canada and in the Middle East, the AW139 meets Russian operational requirements whilst delivering the highest levels of technology, safety, flexibility and operational capability. The AW139, thanks to its outstanding features, has been identified and selected by Russian industry as the benchmark helicopter in the light medium weight category to meet various demanding civil requirements in the region. An AW139 accomplished a successful four weeks demonstration tour across Russia in mid 2010. A final assembly line in Russia for the AW139 civil helicopter is being set up to be run by HeliVert, a Russian Helicopters and AgustaWestland Joint Venture. The final assembly line is aimed at satisfying the requirements of the civil markets in Russia and CIS countries primarily and – through the AgustaWestland network – for the rest of the world. Thanks to its unparalleled features and capabilities, the AW139 is perfectly suited not only for VIP/corporate transport purposes in Russia but also to meet stringent and evolving requirements from major operators and in the parapublic market. A number of leading large fleet operators and public agencies have chosen and are using the AW139 worldwide.

Agusta Westland press release