AgustaWestland has appointed Sino-US of China as an official non-exclusive distributor for AgustaWestland civil helicopters in China, excluding Hong Kong and Macau. The relevant distributorship agreement was signed during an official ceremony held at China Helicopter International Exhibition in Tianjin (5th – 8th September) today and includes orders for twenty helicopters comprising AW119Ke single engine, GrandNew light twin, AW169 light intermediate, AW139 intermediate and AW189 8 ton class twin engine helicopters. The order, whose preliminary commitment was signed at Paris Air Show last June for 15 helicopters, is thus strengthened by adding another 5 units, bringing the value to over €170 million.

Sino-US (Sino-US Intercontinental Helicopter Investment Co. Ltd) is part of Shanghai Zenisun Investment Group, a large conglomerate corporation which focuses on real estate and general aviation. The company has been specialized in helicopter sales and operations in China since 2006, providing a one-stop service for helicopter purchase, import, operation, management, support & training as well as airport construction.

Emilio Dalmasso, Senior Vice President Commercial Business Unit, AgustaWestland said “Partnering with Sino-US is a latest, major step forward for our growing presence in the increasingly important Chinese civil helicopter market. This collaboration with a prime local player in the helicopter sector further testifies the widely recognized quality of our outstanding range of products and the significant potential of the AgustaWestland Family of new generation helicopters in China for a range of applications.”

Jianming Zou, Chairman of Sino-US Intercontinental Helicopter Investment said “Partnering with AgustaWestland, a world leading rotorcraft OEM, is a key milestone in the growth and development plan of Sino-US. I strongly believe it is of great importance also to the development of Chinese rotorcraft market. We want to collaborate closely with our partner AgustaWestland in rotorcraft sales and expect to expand our partnership in other areas such as technical training, helicopter maintenance and support in the future. Together, we want to provide comprehensive helicopter solutions to AgustaWestland users in China and jointly create a new page in the Chinese rotorcraft market development.

The distributorship agreement further strengthens the presence of the GrandNew and AW139 models in China and marks the entrance of  the AgustaWestland Family of new generation helicopters with the addition of the state-of-the-art AW169 and AW189.

The 20 helicopters add to over 40 helicopters in service or on order in the Chinese market and will satisfy a range of mission requirements, including VIP transport duties. With this latest agreement, AgustaWestland is well positioned to benefit from the growing range of opportunities expected in China in the future and it allows Sino-US to play an greater role in this market, leveraging on the AgustaWestland Family advantage.