AL-Sharqiya Aviation (AA), the first and only commercial helicopter operator in the Sultanate of Oman, will shortly take delivery of its first Airbus H145, leased from Milestone Aviation Group. Not only is this the first five-bladed Airbus H145 for ASA, but it is also the first to be delivered to a customer in the Middle East.

The addition of the new helicopter will support ASA's fleet expansion and will enable the provision of reliable onshore and offshore passenger transport and emergency medical aviation services throughout the Sultanate of Oman. The helicopter will complement ASA's existing fleet and capabilities, affirming ASA's market position in providing commercial helicopter services in the sultanate.

Milestone is also providing ASA with a number of training slots and a state-of-the-art disaster management kit to support it with the phasing-in of this new helicopter type into its fleet.

ASA CEO Tariq Al Barwani says: “Al-Sharqiya Aviation is thrilled to be the first operator of the five-bladed H145 in the Middle East. The H145 complements our fleet perfectly and fulfils a variety of mission profiles that match our overall business development objectives. We have been working closely with Milestone on this project, and we are grateful to have it as our leasing partner in this transaction where a certainty of execution is critical to delivering for our customers.”

Milestone head of emerging markets Michael York adds: “We are proud to have been selected by ASA as its leasing partner in this transaction. The five-bladed H145 is a new type for ASA, which will provide it with a whole new level of helicopter capability and technology. The Milestone team has worked very hard to put together a tailor-made solution for ASA, a key differentiator for us. We are pleased to start a long-term relationship with ASA, and we look forward to working closely with the team on the successful delivery of this brand-new helicopter later this year.”