Sino-US Intercontinental Helicopter Investment (Sino-US) of China has signed contracts for 15 AW139 intermediate twin engine helicopters to be operated by Shanghai Kingwing General Aviation. The announcement was made during the China International Import Expo in Shanghai in the presence of the Italian deputy prime minister and minister of economic development, labour and social policies Luigi Di Maio.

Set for delivery between 2019 and 2021, the aircraft will perform EMS missions in China. These orders build on existing contracts for EMS helicopters signed by Sino-US in recent years which include 34 AW119Kx single engines, 24 AW139s and 25 AW109 Trekkers.

Leonardo and Sino-US have also signed a heads of agreement (HoA) under which Sino-US becomes the exclusive distributor of Leonardo helicopters in the Chinese civil and commercial helicopter market, with a purchase and delivery plan for 160 aircraft, including various types in the 2019-2023 period. The HoA also foresees the establishment of a Leonardo authorised training academy in China in partnership with Sino-US, and the setup of a completion and customisation centre managed by Sino-US with the capability to configure, customise and complete the helicopters delivered by Leonardo in-country.

Kingwing president Jianming Zou says: “Leonardo is supplying a world class type in the AW139. It has been a great partner in supporting the expansion of our company and investing in China, a fast-growing market.”

Leonardo CEO Alessandro Profumo adds: “With the new orders and heads of agreement signed today, Leonardo reinforces its leading position in China, a fast-growing and highly competitive market where our state-of-the-art helicopters are performing challenging emergency medical support operations every day, serving communities around the nation.

"We're extremely pleased with our strong partnership with Sino-US. This latest agreement provides further evidence of our commitment to expand the range of customer services available to operators around the world, as our fleet and customer base grow stronger.”

More than 185 Leonardo helicopters have now been sold to Chinese customers for a range of both commercial and public services. The company now has a 70 per cent share of the market in the region and, with further deliveries planned over the coming years, Kingwing is on course to become one of the largest operators of Leonardo helicopters worldwide.