Page 17 - AAA MAY / JULY 2024 Digital Magazine | GBP
P. 17
Arriving with a Bang increased range and payload
capacity.
Leonardo is the leader in the
super medium helicopters seg-
Leonardo is more than making its presence felt ment as well, with more AW189s
in the commercial helicopter market being delivered in recent years
than its competitors. Used for
executive and private transport,
SAR and Medical Evacuation
(MEDEVAC) missions, and
offshore missions, the heli-
copter, which is equipped with
new Safran Aneto-1K engine,
can accommodate up to 14
passengers and is seen as the
helicopter of choice for demand-
ing operations. Among the
standout features of the AW189
are the main transmission’s
capability to run without gearbox
oil for 50 minutes and a built-in
Auxiliary Power Unit (APU). In
May this year, PHI Group, which
By Arun Sivasankaran operates more than 200 helicop-
ters globally, signed a deal with
idway through the year, medium helicopter model – the Leonardo for up to 12 AW189
the commercial helicop- multi-mission AW139. The heli- helicopters.
M ter market has thrown up copter, which can carry up to
many storylines – the increase 15 passengers, is also the most The Airbus H175 is another
in demand for multi-role helicop- leased model in the segment. mainstay in the super medium
ters and the growing appetite More than 1,000 units of the helicopters segment, but indus-
for Emergency Medical Services twin-engine helicopter, which are try analysts expect the entry of
(EMS) helicopters in the Asia configured jointly for Emergency the Bell 525 Relentless to shake
Pacific are just two of them. Medical Services (EMS) and up the market. About 5 to 8
One of the more significant Search and Rescue (SAR) deliveries of super medium heli-
ones involves Leonardo, and its missions, are currently in service copters are expected this year
rapidly growing presence in the worldwide. but the segment is likely to grow
sector. over the next decade as some
Leonardo is the lone bright spot of the existing heavy helicopter
Airbus and Bell Flight helicop- in the medium weight helicop- models are likely to be replaced
ters continue dominate the light ter category that is expected to by super medium helicopters
helicopter (helicopters between end the year with about 50 units as they offer similar ranges at a
2.5 to 4 tons) market, but delivered, which is less than in comparatively lower cost.
Leonardo has made significant previous years. The demand for
inroads into the market in recent the AW139 is driven by its versa- Deliveries in the medium weight
years. Mainly used for corporate tility and reliability across various category have slowed down in
transport and emergency ser- operations such as offshore recent years, but the introduc-
vices, about 225 deliveries are transport as well as search and tion of the H160 is expected to
expected in this segment this rescue. The future demand for provide a fillip to the flagging
year. helicopters in this segment is market. Sikorsky’s presence in
expected to increase gradually the segment has come down
Leonardo has the most popular dependant on factors such as over the years. The heavy
ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE MAY - JULY 2024 | 17
