Saudi Arabia’s THC (The Helicopter Company) and Leonardo, a global high-technology company, are bolstering civil helicopter operations in the Kingdom with the introduction of 16 AW139 intermediate twin engine aircraft for emergency medical service (EMS) and corporate transport missions.

Deliveries commence to start this year and shall be completed within the following three years. These aircraft add to THC’s existing AW139 fleet of seven helicopters. Six additional units may follow in the future expansion.

Gian Piero Cutillo, MD Leonardo Helicopters, said: “We’re extremely pleased to build on the outstanding collaboration developed over years with THC contributing to their continued excellent quality service growth with more AW139 helicopters. We look forward to supporting our partner to deliver an even greater level of effective and safe passenger transport and emergency response missions across their country.”

“We are really excited to expand significantly our Leonardo fleet with this new order. The AW139 is certainly one of the most reliable platforms in the industry and the “best in class” transportation in this category. We are also delighted to re-emphasize our partnership with Leonardo a historic partner of THC, to develop new capabilities and services across the full rotary ecosystem in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said Captain Arnaud Martinez, CEO of The Helicopter Company

The world’s most important helicopter programme since its certification in 2004 and the bestselling type in its category, the AW139 has logged orders for over 1200 units from more than 290 customers in over 70 countries to date. The type has proven extremely successful in the Middle East with over 170 units sold across the region for the widest scope of missions including corporate transport, emergency medical service, search and rescue, law enforcement, offshore transport, government duties.

The AW139 delivers outstanding capabilities, technology and safety to meet stringent requirements from operators for tasks in harsh conditions to maximize effectiveness. The type features state-of-the-art avionics with advanced navigation and collision avoidance systems to enhance situational awareness and reduce pilots’ workload, unmatched speed, power margins and overall performance, the widest cabin in its category featuring high modularity for rapid reconfiguration, a unique 60+ min run-dry capable main gear box for enhanced reliability and safety and up to 1000 certified kits.

The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) established THC as part of its strategy to activate new sectors that meet the growing demands for commercial helicopters in Saudi Arabia. THC also supports the realization of Vision 2030 and generates long-term commercial returns.

THC is the Kingdom’s first and only commercial helicopter operator and has been operating since mid-2019. – TradeArabia News Service