Leonardo is eyeing significant growth prospects for its helicopter offerings in South East Asia. The company which is participating in the ongoing LIMA, has a wide range of helicopters in its portfolio, which can undertake missions for public utility services such as firefighting, search and rescue and disaster relief capabilities, as well as offshore transport missions, passenger transport and government operation. The company’s prospects in these areas quickly growing, in addition to its military helicopters which are class leading.
Leonardo has grown significantly in Malaysia over the last 10 years, supplying a fleet of 60 helicopters that are operational with military, law enforcement, search and rescue, firefighting, VIP and commercial activities.
The Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force are the latest new AW139 operators recently selecting the type in the Country, while, looking at future outlooks, the AW609 tiltrotor could represent a
significant opportunity for the Malaysian commercial passenger transport market and other applications.
The static display at the ongoing LIMA, features an AW109 Power and an AW189 of Malaysia’s Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), to highlight its capabilities in the helicopters public utility services such as
firefighting, search and rescue and disaster relief capabilities and celebrate their success in the area. The AW109 Power is operational with an all-new emergency medical service, which was recently established in Malaysia.
Also, Leonardo believes the AW149 latest generation multirole medium twin engine helicopter is the perfect fit to meet emerging requirements across the region. With an active production line and an established market presence across geographies, including South-East Asia, the AW149 is the only all new military aircraft in its category, leveraging advanced technology, high performance in all conditions, wide cabin and high payload, and is supported by unique maintenance and training capabilities already present in the region. Also, its high customization possibilities by design allow for significant collaborations and localization in Malaysia.
Strong Support
With a regional hub for Customer Support and Training near Kuala Lumpur, Leonardo is the only helicopter manufacturer to have selected Malaysia as its exclusive hub for maintenance and support services covering South East Asia and the Far East. The Customer Support range of solutions made available in the area from the hub includes the aircraft maintenance (Line & Base) to specific customisations, on-site troubleshooting and repair, full fleet management with continuous airworthiness management (technical and logistic assistance) services and complete turnkey solutions. The hub is aimed at constantly increasing the R&O capabilities for components in East Asia.
Located in Kuala Lumpur, the Leonardo Training Academy, offers a range of technical, logistic and training services for the AW109 series, AW169, AW139 and AW189 helicopters for the Eastern markets and expects to expand the range of courses available. Established in 2013, the Training Academy is currently equipped with an AW139 Full Flight Simulator (FFS), while and a second AW139 and AW189 Level D is expected to become operational by the first months of 2024.
Regional Appeal
From a broader prospective of the whole area of South East Asia, the success of Leonardo in the helicopter market has grown further in the region, with new orders from Thailand and Indonesia announced earlier this year.
SFS Aviation, a leading provider of offshore helicopter services for Oil and Gas companies in Thailand has ordered two more AW139s. These aircraft are slated to be delivered later this year and will take the total of AW139s operated by SFS Aviation to seven. The Thai helicopter operator has been a long established operator of offshore transport-configured AW139s in South East Asia since 2010. In Indonesia, Travira Air signed a contract for one more AW139 expected to be delivered in 2024 to carry out offshore transport missions. This aircraft will join a fleet of four AW139s currently operated by Travira Air, a prime helicopter operator in the region and a Recognized Maintenance Centre of Leonardo in the country. Furthermore, in Indonesia the success of Leonardo’s offer grows further with sales of an AW169 and an AW139 VIP-configured helicopters to private Indonesian customers.
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