UK air charter service provider Thunder Aviation is renewing its fleet with Leonardo AW109 Trekker light twin engine helicopters. Three new aircraft will replace one AW109 GrandNew light twin and three AW119Kx single engine aircraft. The new helicopters will be supplied through Leonardo's long established regional helicopter distributor for UK and Ireland Sloane Helicopters (Sloane), with two arriving in the UK during 2026 and one in 2027.

The introduction of the AW109 Trekker will ensure Thunder Aviation continues to deliver service excellence to its clients, the company says, benefitting from the best-in-class level of performance and comfort typically delivered by the AW109 series while introducing new avionics and greater versatility to operate on unprepared terrains thanks to its skid undercarriage, all under the exclusive Agusta VIP/corporate brand benefits and experience.

Tom Partrick, CEO Thunder Aviation, says: “We are immensely proud to have developed the unique brand and identity of Thunder Aviation and, within just five years using Leonardo products, have become one of the most highly regarded operators in the UK. This fleet renewal is part of our future strategy and following a detailed market evaluation we are confident that an all-AW109 Trekker fleet is the perfect solution, allowing us to continue to deliver the highest standard of luxury and reliability to our clients. We are particularity excited by the next evolution in our fleet customisation, designed in close collaboration with the Agusta team.”

The AW109 Trekker maintains the AW109's large cabin and exceptional performance while offering greater payload at a competitive cost, thus proving perfectly suited to meet the stringent requirements of operators in terms of capabilities, efficiency and economics. The AW109 Trekker is the latest addition to Leonardo's light twin helicopter portfolio and the company's first light twin to offer skid landing gear.

The latest Genesys Aerosystems glass cockpit provides pilots only with the necessary information to help reduce their workload while flying in challenging environments and in demanding weather conditions. The AW109 Trekker retains the same characteristics of high productivity, excellent performance and flying qualities, high manoeuvrability, robustness, advanced navigation capabilities and high inherent safety of the other light twin helicopters produced by Leonardo.

The spacious cabin, the same size as the Grand/GrandNew, can accommodate up to six passengers. Capable of single pilot operations, an additional passenger can be seated in the cockpit if required. The AW109 Trekker incorporates many safety features including a cocoon-type airframe; crash resistant fuel system, crew and passengers seats, full Cat A / Class 1 performance in hot environments and a 30 minute 'run-dry' main gear box.