Avincis, a sizeable European provider of emergency aerial services, has become the first operator in the world to surpass 5,000 flying hours on the Leonardo AW169.

The aircraft that has reached this significant milestone supports the company's HEMS operation in the Västra Götaland region of Sweden, where it has performed 9,000 missions since entering into service in June 2018. It was clear from day one that this aircraft was going to be in demand, as it was dispatched on three missions on its very first day in service. Since its manufacture in 2018, the seven-year-old aircraft has only been operated by Avincis in this one region.

This aircraft is one of 12 AW169s in the Avincis fleet, which totals around 210 helicopters and aeroplanes.

By introducing the AW169 into Sweden in 2018, Avincis was one of the first operators in the world to operate the AW169 for HEMS. The first aircraft was launched in Östersund in January 2018, with introductions in Gällivare and Lycksele following shortly thereafter. The region of Uppsala switched to the AW169 in the autumn of 2019. Today, three of these bases continue to operate the AW169.

All of Avincis' AW169 aircraft in Sweden are optimised with specific equipment to support its lifesaving missions, from the customised HEMS cabin to the additional external lights installed to improve the operational efficiency and safety of its operations.

Avincis, group CEO, John Boag, says: “We are proud to be the first operator in the world to surpass 5,000 hours and 9,000 missions on the Leonardo AW169. This aircraft has proved to be extremely reliable and robust, like its older sibling the AW139, and a great choice for our HEMS customers in Sweden and in Italy. We have been able to achieve this through close collaboration with Leonardo, which provides us with excellent customer service for our AW fleet. I look forward to seeing the AW169 fly many more hours and save many more lives in the future.”

Stefano Villanti, Leonardo Helicopters SVP marketing, sales and contracts, adds: “We congratulate Avincis for this latest operational achievement. It shows the established professionalism and capabilities of the operator as well as the reliability and effectiveness of the AW169 to deliver in demanding operational, weather and environment conditions for critical life-saving duties. We look forward to continuing this journey together with Avincis, making sure its Leonardo helicopter fleet remains a key technology enabler to succeed.”