Leonardo at EBACE 2023

Leonardo, May 23, 2023 - Europe’s major executive air transport exhibition EBACE (European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition) is back this year in Geneva, Switzerland on 23-25 May, enabling Leonardo to join the business aviation community to explore the future of the industry.

Leonardo will present the latest of its Agusta brand range of dedicated services and will exhibit an AW109 GrandNew light twin helicopter in VIP configuration.

With a global fleet of more than 900 helicopters, carrying out a range of passenger missions, including private and corporate transport, charter, scheduled services and VIP/government transport, Leonardo is the global leader in this sector.

The success of Leonardo’s offer to the VIP/corporate transport market continues to grow across geographies. Europe is the largest market for the commercial multi-engine VIP/Corporate helicopters and Leonardo is the leader with 44% of the fleet.

Over the last three years, Leonardo’s helicopters deliveries have accelerated moving back to pre-pandemic levels and contributing to the company’s leading position of 55% share of the Europe’s multi-engine VIP/Corporate helicopters market over the last decade.

At EBACE Leonardo will present an exclusive update of on the Agusta brand exclusives initiatives, with a particular focus on the AGUSTA FOR YOU service and maintenance package dedicated to private operators.

AGUSTA FOR YOU

The AGUSTA FOR YOU service and maintenance package for private operators is conceived as integral part of the Leonardo VIP offer and it has been already selected by several customers around the world providing turnkey solution in terms of a complete coverage. Developed specifically to meet the needs of corporate rotorcraft operators, it is intended to increase aircraft availability and reduce inventory costs, while optimizing expenses by covering both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance of airframe, avionics components and other items.

The AGUSTA FOR YOU plan is available to all the Leonardo helicopters, and it offers on demand possibilities of annual interiors refurbishment, coverage of entertainment system (parts and troubleshooting), coverage of engines in the case of unscheduled events (with performance guaranteed) and engine loan service.

For those customers who decide to maintain their helicopter at Leonardo facilities, the AGUSTA FOR YOU service plan also provides premium services such as: facilitation in the rental of a “replacement” helicopter, in case of helicopter on maintenance; fuel arrangements; cabin cleaning service; direct ramp access, when hangars are in a commercial airfield.

Over the next two years, with the aim of extending the possibility to access the AGUSTA FOR YOU services through the entire Leonardo global service network, selected Leonardo helicopters Part145 maintenance centres will be renewed with Agusta-branded areas, bringing premium services closer to VIP clients in the main geographical areas such as Europe, the Americas, South Africa, and Australia.

Leonardo VIP helicopters feature the best Italian craftsmanship, advanced technologies, tailor-made design, cutting-edge solutions and the highest possible levels of comfort.

Leonardo this year is exhibiting on static display a VIP-configured AW109 GrandNew light twin helicopter. The AW109 GrandNew features a streamlined, stylish shape and unrivalled elegance in its interior finishes, in addition to advanced avionics. The cabin can be arranged in a variety of configurations, ranging from a luxurious four-seat to a comfortable six-seat design. Wide sliding doors on both sides and electrically retractable steps ensure easy access for all passengers, while the extended baggage compartment provides ample room for luggage. It is the iconic VIP helicopter, for leisure and to enjoy life.

New Orders from UK and Ireland

Leonardo’s continued success in the UK and Ireland VIP/corporate helicopter market expands as its regional distributor, Sloane, announced orders for one AW109 GrandNew and one AW109 Trekker light twin during an official ceremony held at EBACE 2023 (Geneva, 23-25 May) today.

The contract clearly demonstrates the strong continued market demand in the UK for the popular class-leading AW109.

David George, Chairman of Sloane Helicopters, said: “We are proud to further strengthen our longstanding partnership with Leonardo through the order of two more airframes. With eight new helicopters delivered since the last EBACE and more to come, this rapid expansion exemplifies Sloane’s commitment to both the Leonardo products and growth of the UK & Ireland helicopter market. The addition of these two airframes further solidifies Leonardo’s position as the leading helicopter manufacturer in the VIP/Corporate market and we are honoured to play a key role in this attainment.”

In July 2022, Sloane confirmed its Distributor Agreement for the 2022-2024 timeframe, covering both types and the AW169 light intermediate twin model.

The long-term success between Sloane Helicopters and Leonardo was established in 1995, when Sloane became the sole distributor of Leonardo VIP/corporate helicopter in the UK and Ireland. Under this collaboration, nearly 110 Leonardo commercial helicopters have been delivered to operators and private users in the UK and Ireland.

The Distributorship Agreement has provided customers with continued benefits by dramatically reducing delivery times and providing customers with product expertise and a full range of support packages, which also helps Leonardo to maintain its position as leader in the executive/private transport market in the UK and Ireland, among other applications.

This has been further reinforced following the launch of the new Agusta VIP brand in late 2021 with its exclusive features and all-new service offer.

Sloane Helicopters is also an Authorised Service Centre, providing maintenance and support services for the majority of GrandNew and all AW169 VIP helicopters in the region. Additionally, Sloane Helicopters is a Type Rating Training centre for Leonardo helicopters in the UK.

Overall, the position of Leonardo in the segment in the region has shown solid performance over the last 12 months with total orders for nearly 15 helicopters in UK and Ireland including a mix of AW109GrandNew/Trekker and five AW139 intermediate twins, all with deliveries expected in the 2H 2023-2025 period.

Regarding the AW139, those latest orders further expand the success of the best-in-class twin engine intermediate helicopter for Private/Corporate transport missions in UK and Ireland, thanks to its maturity and reliability characteristics, combined with high level of comfort and unrivaled performance, bringing the total number of aircraft of this type flying in the region to nearly 20. In addition to the new orders, over the last year eight AW109s from previous contracts were delivered in these two countries.