Air Center Helicopters has signed a deal with the Milestone Aviation Group covering long-term lease extension agreements for 11 Airbus H225 helicopters. The lease extensions commence in May 2027 and run through June 2033. The aircraft are currently operated by Air Center in support of critical government, utility and mission-critical operations across the US and at strategic locations worldwide.

Air Center Helicopters is a FAR Part 133, 135, 137 and 145 operator with 40 years of experience. Headquartered in Burleson, Texas, it is the largest H225 operator in the Americas. The company deploys the aircraft across a range of demanding missions, including support services for US government agencies, strategic programmes, airlift operations, space mission recovery activities and essential personnel transportation.

The 11 aircraft at the centre of these extensions are the same machines Milestone announced in February 2021, delivered to Air Center Helicopters across 2021 and 2022 for US government utility, training and transport missions.

“Air Center's relationship with Milestone is vital to our success, and we are reassured that these latest lease amendments will enable us to continue to provide unparalleled performance to our customers with the uniquely capable H225 aircraft,” confirm Chris Dalton, Air Center's chief operating officer. “Milestone's flexibility and cooperation make it a vital strategic partner, and securing this continued partnership keeps Air Center's most critical assets in place through all of our current contract terms and beyond.”

“We are pleased to further strengthen our long-standing relationship with Air Center through this transaction,” adds Sebastien Moulin, chief commercial officer, Milestone. “As the largest H225 operator in the Americas, Air Center has built a strong reputation as a trusted provider of mission-critical aviation services. These lease extensions underscore the strength of our partnership and the continued value of the H225 platform in supporting complex and demanding operations. We look forward to supporting Air Center's continued success for many years to come.”

Air Center signed a five-year Airbus HCare In-Service full-by-the-hour contract covering all 18 of its H225s in February 2024, upgrading from an earlier parts-by-the-hour arrangement that covered 10 of the aircraft.

Milestone Aviation Group, an AerCap company, is a leading helicopter leasing and financing company. Milestone partners with helicopter operators worldwide, providing a wide array of financial and productivity solutions, including operating leases, purchase/leasebacks, secured debt financing, engine leasing and fleet advisory. The company supports approximately 50 customers in approximately 35 countries serving a variety of industries, including offshore oil and gas, search and rescue, emergency medical services, police surveillance, mining, firefighting and other utility missions.

The H225 fleet has been central to Air Center's expansion into non-oil-and-gas government work: the type was used to recover NASA astronauts Behnken and Hurley from the Gulf of Mexico after the SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-2 splashdown in August 2020, and was deployed to evacuate 2,100 US and Canadian citizens and embassy staff from Haiti between March and May 2024.