Air Harrods has taken delivery of a limited edition Agusta A109E Power ‘Elite’, and claims to be the only helicopter organisation to offer the version for public charter. This marks an expansion to a fleet which also includes a Eurocopter EC 135TI and two Sikorsky S76s.

EBAN asked spokesperson Dawn Wyatt what additional features the ‘Elite’ model boasted: “It has a larger cabin area without any loss of space in the baggage compartment. The seats have been moved further apart and tilted so they’re more comfortable than the standard 109 (which is quite a tight fit) and it has larger windows. There are also additional safety aspects and overall the equipment has been upgraded.”

The addition was not really a direct response to increased demand, as Wyatt explained: “We are busier, but the ‘Elite’ basically just marks a progression in the company. It may come to replace one of our other aircraft in time, but at the moment that’s not been confirmed.”

The Italian designed and built aircraft seats up to seven passengers and has an improved vibration absorbing system along with enhanced sound-proofing. Claimed to be ‘the fastest corporate helicopter in the world’ the A109E Power has a maximum cruise speed of around 180 mph and a range of 600 miles.