Aramco, a Saudi Arabian-headquartered energy and chemicals company, has signed lease agreements with Milestone Aviation for five helicopters.

The agreements include the placement of three Leonardo AW139s and two Airbus H145 helicopters. All five aircraft are factory new and will be deployed on critical offshore oil and gas missions in Saudi Arabia with deliveries scheduled throughout 2023. Milestone's relationship with Aramco began in 2016 and the addition of these five units brings Aramco's total helicopter fleet on lease from Milestone to 35 helicopters.

Khalid Al-Natour, head of Aramco Aviation, says, “We are delighted to continue our relationship with Milestone. The leasing model has been tremendously successful for Aramco as it has allowed us to focus on our operational excellence while de-risking asset ownership and depreciation costs. We know we can rely on Milestone, and we look forward to working together as we add these new helicopters to our fleet.”

Milestone head of emerging markets Michael York adds: “Aramco has pioneered offshore oil and gas helicopter operations in the Middle East for decades, and we are honoured to support Aramco as its trusted leasing partner, as it continues to expand and modernise its fleet.”