Milan-based Avio Nord is about to take delivery of a brand new Agusta 109E. General manager Daniele Paggiaro said: “The aircraft will be leased by the local civil police force, which has been a very important contract for us since it began in September last year.”

The helicopter has been fitted with an infrared camera to aid in accidents, air rescue, fires and pollution control.

“This is the first time in Italy that military equipment will be used for a civil organisation – by this I mean

the thermal imaging and infra-red cameras.

“We have also developed software to track the exact position of the helicopter from its base and hopefully we will be fitting it in this aircraft,” said Paggiaro.

The company’s business mainly involves passenger charter flights, but there will also be a certain amount of niche work. Paggiaro said: “We sometimes carry out human organ transportation as well as transporting passengers from the Linate and Malpensa Airports to the Milan Fair for meetings and exhibitions.

“We’re also working in collaboration with a local university on a pollution control programme. The thermal imaging camera will aid us with this, checking for problems in the Lombardy region.”

This is Avio Nord’s second A109, although Paggiaro doesn’t want the expansion to stop here.

“We’re now looking to purchase another Agusta 109E after this latest one has been delivered, although a definite decision will have to depend upon our future business levels,” he added.