Ireland-based GDHF has signed a framework agreement with Leonardo to introduce 10 more AW189s in the energy support market, with deliveries expected between 2027-2029.

GDHF CEO Michael York says: “We are very pleased to sign the framework agreement with Leonardo for 10 additional factory new AW189s. GDHF has now committed to a total of 13 AW189s, and earlier this year we successfully introduced the first of these AW189s into our fleet. This large 10 AW189 framework agreement will further enhance our ability to support our customers globally and provide them additional highly effective AW189 super-medium helicopters on lease. We thank Leonardo for its strong partnership as we work together to provide comprehensive multi-mission AW189 solutions for our customers.”

The energy support market is expected to steadily increase over the next five years, driven by new field developments, including wind farm support and offshore SAR assisting the energy sector, in compliance with new environmental regulations and adoption of more advanced technologies. With nearly 500 helicopters of various types in service today to perform offshore transport, Leonardo is the market leader for energy support. Offshore operations require high aircraft availability rates with many flight hours logged by the helicopters used for this task. Leveraging data gathering and analysis from the demanding offshore market and its intensive operations enables Leonardo to further enhance the overall service quality, product and training capabilities of various models across all other applications. Intermediate and super medium twin weight categories, like the Leonardo AW139 and AW189 respectively, are expected to gradually lead this market for long range operations outperforming ageing heavier and bigger types.

Belonging to the AW family of products, the 8.3/8.6 tonne AW189 combines superior payload and range with advanced technologies to successfully operate a wide range of missions such as search and rescue, energy industry support, passenger transport, firefighting and law enforcement. Unique features of the helicopter include the capability of the main transmission to run without oil for 50 minutes and a built-in auxiliary power unit.

The AW189 is available with more than 200 certified kits and is also the only aircraft in its class featuring a Full Ice Protection System (or, alternatively, a Limited Ice Protection System) certified for use in Europe, US and Canada. The type is delivered with a comprehensive support and training service package tailored to meet specific customer requirements to maximise mission effectiveness and safety of operations. The type is also certified for an automatic data transmission system enabling the aircraft to transmit flight data to a ground station using satellite communication in flight, 4G cell connectivity or Wi-Fi when on the ground. It offers a secure way to share an accurate picture of each flight so that Leonardo experts can assess data quickly, thus optimising maintenance and support.

Over 90 AW189s have been delivered to operators worldwide to date. Around 50 of these are used for offshore transport today and have surpassed 155,000 flight hours in operations in this market. After 10 years since its certification, the AW189 remains the world's leader in the super-medium helicopter class by market size, number of operators, countries and applications, including offshore transport, search and rescue, firefighting/disaster relief, law enforcement and passenger transport. The AW189 is growing its presence in existing customers' fleets as well as being selected by all new operators, particularly in the energy and public service markets.