Starspeed has signed a preliminary sales contract for one AW169 light intermediate helicopter plus an option for an additional aircraft. The helicopter will become the first to perform vip transport missions in the UK.

Gary Butcher, md of Starspeed, says: “The history of corporate helicopters has so far been a story of finding acceptable compromise, with no single helicopter really standing out as the ideal combination of price, performance and maintainability for the market. In the AW169, Starspeed recognises the start of a new chapter in the story of corporate helicopter services, one where there is no compromise and every performance indicator and success factor is built in, through design and an emphasis on customer requirements. The AW169 is just the product we have been waiting for.”

More than 70 AW169 helicopters have now been ordered for a wide range of missions including corporate transport, air ambulance, law enforcement, utility and offshore transport. With three prototypes already flying and the fourth prototype expected to take to the air for the first time in early 2013, the AW169 is on schedule to achieve certification in 2014.

The AgustaWestland plant in Yeovil UK is set to play a crucial role in the manufacturing process of the AW169 and the company sees growing business opportunities in the future for civil rotorcraft in the UK helicopter market.