• Orders signed for 25 AW119Kx helicopters by Sino-US of China and one GrandNew by Shizuoka Air Commuter Corporation of Japan

• The Helicopter Division consolidates its position in the Asian Emergency Medical Service market with this major contract

• The AW009 helicopter is presented for the first time at Heli Expo

• ERA fleet of 40 helicopters surpasses 100,000 flight hours milestone

Finmeccanica, through its Helicopter Division, has announced during Heli-Expo 2016 (Louisville, Kentucky) new contracts for 26 helicopters with customers in China and Japan. The contracts valued at approximately 80 million Euro highlight Finmeccanica’s strong presence and growth in the Asian Emergency Medical Service (EMS) and public utility helicopter markets.
Specifically in China a contract for 25 AgustaWestland AW119Kx single engine helicopters has been signed with Sino-US. Deliveries are expected to start by June 2016. This contract includes a comprehensive support and training services package and is part of a framework agreement for 60 AW119Kx aircraft to be acquired through 2017. The helicopters will be operated by Kingwing General Aviation Co. Ltd (Kingwing) and will be used in China for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) missions. In Japan the company Shizuoka Air Commuter Corporation has ordered a GrandNew helicopter in air ambulance configuration for use in the Niigata Prefecture, as part of the national helicopter air ambulance programme across all Japanese prefectures. The helicopter will enter service in the autumn of 2016.
On the first day of Heli-Expo 2016, the Helicopter Division of Finmeccanica presented an evolution of the light single-engine SW-4 commercial helicopter, now designated the AW009. The new model provides improved levels of comfort, reduced maintenance and operating costs as well as an all new integrated avionics suite, and in the future, the option of a more powerful engine. The AW009 can be equipped for training, law enforcement, emergency medical and passenger transport missions. Finmeccanica Helicopter Division has received an initial Letter of Interest from the Riverside Police Department of California. Finmeccanica Helicopter Division has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with AAL USA of Huntsville, Alabama, to facilitate avionics integration and FAA certification, expected by year end. Finally, the Helicopter Division of Finmeccanica celebrated today with the Era Group, the longest serving helicopter provider in the industry and the largest civil operator of AgustaWestland helicopters, their tremendous operational success and achievement of 100,000 flight hours with their fleet of 40 AW139 helicopters operated across their group. Era operates and leases the aircraft in support of offshore, search and rescue, and EMS operations. The worldwide fleet of AW139s today, with 800 aircraft already delivered, has now exceeded 1,400,000 flight hours.

Press release and picture Finmeccanica Helicopter Division