Leonardo and THC, owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) in Saudi Arabia, announced an order for 20 AW139 intermediate twin-engine helicopters and a multi-year Framework Agreement for over 130 aircraft.
The announcement was made during an official ceremony held at Heli-Expo 2024 in Anaheim, CA.
The contract for 20 AW139s aims at primarily strengthening the emergency medical service (EMS) and search and rescue (SAR) fleet in Saudi Arabia, with deliveries expected to be carried out in 2025 and 2026. The Framework Agreement for over 130 aircraft includes a mix of AW109s, AW169s, AW139s and AW189Ks for various applications, with a first batch of orders foreseen by the first half of this year and delivery positions to THC over five to seven years.
The intention to procure these latest 20 AW139s was announced at Heli-Expo 2023. By the time all these latest firmly ordered AW139s are delivered, THC will have a total fleet of approximately 50 AW139s carrying out a range of missions including EMS, SAR and corporate transport in the country, making THC one of the largest AW139 operators globally.
“We’re proud of this THC’s massive helicopter fleet expansion plan leveraging our technology,” said Gian Piero Cutillo, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters. He added:“Our state-of-the-art platforms will support their service capability growth program with key life-saving and transport missions for the communities they serve.”
The addition of the AW169 and AW189K to the THC’s fleet in the future will allow the operator to benefit from the unique advantages of the AW Family concept based on shared design, components, support and training approach with unprecedented fleet management efficiency and versatility.
