LEONARDO RECEIVES ORDER FOR SIX MORE EMS/SAR HELICOPTERS

Leonardo has announced further growth in presence of the AW139 intermediate twin-engine helicopter in Australia at Avalon, with orders for a total of six aircraft by three different prime operators: Babcock Australasia (Babcock), RACQ CQ Rescue (CQ Rescue) and StarFlight Australia. All six aircraft will be delivered from Leonardo’s Vergiate final assembly line facility in Italy in 2024.

The two AW139 platforms ordered by Babcock will carry out a range of HEMS, Search and Rescue and Inter-Hospital Patient Transport missions on behalf of an undisclosed client. The AW139 platforms will be delivered in 2024 and will commence service in the second half of the year, following dedicated mission customisation performed locally. The new aircraft will feature a wide range of tailored equipment.

The two AW139 platforms ordered by CQ Rescue will be used in the Mackay region of Central Queensland to perform both on-shore and off-shore EMS/SAR missions day and night and in most weather conditions. Thanks to the new AW139s, CQ Rescue will fly twice as far and with a 30% increase in mission speed compared to the previous helicopters, reaching remote and rural communities faster than ever before.

StarFlight Australia’s order consists of two AW139s that will be operated in Queensland and other parts of Australia, carrying out EMS/SAR missions in both on-shore and offshore capacities. This new order will bring the total of AW139s operated by the StarFlight and LifeFlight groups to 15, nine of which are dedicated to EMS/SAR missions.