Leonardo is strengthening its leading position in the super medium helicopter market by announcing the launch customer for the all new AW189K variant. Gulf Helicopters of Qatar, a major force in the offshore transport sector and an established AW139 and AW189 operator, will introduce the AW189K into service in the second half of 2020. The AW189 has already demonstrated it is one of the Company’s most successful models through its sales, deliveries and flight hours.
Powered by a pair of latest generation Safran Helicopter Engines’ Aneto-1K 2,500 shp class turboshafts, the AW189K offers the market a further option for efficient long range, high endurance and large capacity operations with lower operating costs compared to larger, heavier types. The AW189K delivers a high level of performance, particularly in hot & high conditions, and is ideally suited to meet customer requirements across a range of geographies, including the Middle East where Leonardo plays a leading role for various missions with its modern product portfolio. Applications which will benefit from the AW189K’s outstanding performance include offshore, SAR, parapublic and fire-fighting, and VIP transport.
The selection of the AW189K by Gulf Helicopters, the launch customer of the AW189 in the offshore market back in 2014, once more provides clear evidence of the customer’s trust with Leonardo’s products to meet its stringent operational requirements. The new model, currently under development with over 350 flight hours logged to date, has shown excellent capabilities in a wide range of demanding weight, altitude and temperature conditions.
Approximately 70 AW189s are in service worldwide today carrying out long range offshore, search and rescue, VIP transport, MEDEVAC, disaster relief and fire-fighting operations and have logged over 74,000 flight hours.
