Leonardo continues to expand the level of service proximity and capabilities in the helicopter market by launching new projects in the UK through a long-term partnership with Aldenham Aviation Ltd. Starting with an existing building and infrastructure at London Elstree Aerodrome, operations target Part 145 maintenance capabilities to be in place within autumn this year. Further projects planned wi...
Safran Helicopter Engines has received certification for its Aneto-1K from the Civil Aviation Administration of China. This crucial milestone paves the way for the Leonardo AW189K's introduction into the Chinese civil market. This validation of type certificate by China succeeds the earlier type certificate by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in 2019. Valentin Safir...
Leonardo and PHI Group signed a framework agreement for 12 AW189 Helicopters to serve the global energy market starting in 2025. These are composed of firm orders as well as purchase options and include an extensive support partnership featuring a service center agreement, MRO agreement, and training solutions for the AW139 and AW189 models. Scott McCarty, CEO of PHI Group commented:...
Airbus Helicopters, LCI and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and SMFL announced an order for up to 21 of the latest generation helicopters. The major new order from LCI and SMFL’s joint venture leasing operation, SMFL LCI Helicopters (SMFLH), consists of 14 firm orders plus 7 options. It is made up of a mix of light twin H145, medium twin H160 and super medium H175...
Airbus Helicopters and Babcock have been awarded a contract to support 48 EC145s operated by the French Ministry of Interior. The 12 year contract that starts this year was signed with the Direction de la Maintenance Aéronautique, the organisation in charge of maintenance for aircraft operated by the French government.The contract covers the 33 EC145s operated by the Sécurité...
Bell Textron revealed its Aircraft Laboratory for Future Autonomy based on the Bell 429 commercial aircraft. Developed by Bell Advanced Programs team, ALFA is dedicated to performing flight maneuvers with an aircraft safety system and executing autonomous fly-by-wire flights. The fly-by-wire integration was a critical step in future development of autonomous controls for Bell’s commerci...
During Chinese President Xi Jinping state visit to France, Safran Helicopter Engines has signed support-by-the-hour contracts with GDAT, to support the Makila engines powering its fleet of Airbus H225 helicopters, as well as the Arrano engines powering GD Helicopter Finance H160 helicopters to be operated by GDAT, which will shortly enter service. These two SBH-type contracts cover in-se...
Robinson Helicopter Company has secured FAA approval for its new empennage design for the R22 helicopter. With this certification, Robinson’s entire fleet of helicopters is now FAA-certified. The new empennage design includes a symmetric horizontal stabilizer and tailcone, now standard on all newly manufactured Robinson helicopters. The development and testing of the new empennage desig...
Safran Helicopter Engines has signed a major support-by-the-hour contract with DRF Luftrettung for the engines powering its H145 helicopter fleet. This SBH contract covers in-service support and MRO for over 90 Arriel 2E engines. DRF Luftrettung is one of the biggest users of the Arriel engine in Europe. The contract will be managed by Safran Helicopter Engines Germany in Hamburg, w...
Airbus Helicopters and GDAT, have signed a contract for up to 20 H175 helicopters (ten firm orders and ten options). GD Helicopter Finance will be marketing these H175 helicopters to customers in the energy, SAR, EMS and parapublic market segments worldwide. Michael York, CEO of GDHF said: “GDHF is very pleased to announce the availability of 50 H160 and 20 Airbus H175...
Airbus Helicopters’ Racer demonstrator, developed in the frame of the European Research Clean Sky 2 project, has performed its first flight, in Marignane. The aircraft flew for about 30 minutes, allowing the flight test team to check the overall behavior of the aircraft. This important milestone launches the flight campaign which will take two years and will aim to progressive...
Kaman delivered a new medium-to-heavy lift K‑MAX helicopter to Black Tusk Helicopter of Squamish, BC, Canada. Black Tusk performs various external lift projects of every scale, ranging from aerial timber harvesting, ski tower setting, firefighting, and hydroelectric projects. Phil Murphy, Vice President of Business Development, Kaman Air Vehicles, commented: “Bla...
