Farnborough 11 July 2016 16:04
- 50th AW139s due to arrive in Japan later this year
- AW139 has achieved great success in Japan’s para-public market
- Leonardo Helicopters and Mitsui Bussan reaffirm their strong partnership which also includes a distribution agreement for the new generation AW169 helicopter
- Over 950 AW139 helicopters sold worldwide confirm the type as the best-selling intermediate twin-engine helicopter
Farnborough, 11 July 2016 – Leonardo-Finmeccanica and Mitsui Bussan Aerospace of Japan are celebrating at Farnborough Air Show 2016 today the imminent delivery of the 50th AgustaWestland AW139 intermediate twin-engine helicopter to Japan. The strength of the Leonardo Mitsui Bussan Aerospace partnership and market leading capabilities of the AW139 has seen the aircraft dominate markets that have traditionally been occupied by other helicopter manufacturers and has underpinned the expansion of both companies business in Japan.
Leonardo is the market leader in Japan in the twin-engine market thanks to the success of the AW109 series and the AW139. Mitsui Bussan is also an official distributor for the all new AW169 light intermediate twin-engine helicopter in Japan, paving the path for further success in the local market.
The AW139 has proven extremely successful in Japan performing a number of public utility roles including search and rescue and coast guard duties with the Japan Coast Guard, law enforcement, firefighting and disaster relief with the Japan National Police Agency, Tokyo Metropolitan Police and Fire and Disaster Management Agency, as well as several prefectures and city authorities. All Nippon Helicopter (for NHK) and Kansai TV have chosen the AW139 to carry out Electronic News Gathering (ENG) missions across the nation.
Leonardo success in the Japanese helicopter market continues to grow with strong sales in recent years across its complete commercial product range. Company’s regional business headquarters, based in Tokyo, has been supporting the company’s growing business in Japan since 2008. The helicopter fleet in Japan is also supported by four official service centers which provide maintenance and repair services, confirming Leonardo commitment to current and future rotorcraft requirements in Japan.