Leonardo, March 10, 2026 - Atlanta, GA – The Leonardo AW189 super-medium helicopter’s success in Northern Europe and in the energy market continues to grow with an order for a further three newly built units to be operated by Norwegian company Lufttransport RW AS to deliver offshore transport services on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).
This contract will bring to twelve the number of AW189s to be operated by Lufttransport, following contract awards in early 2025, respectively by Equinor to operate five aircraft and Vår Energi to fly two. Two more aircraft had already been ordered and are expected to be delivered soon.
An established AW139 operator with seven units in service today, Lufttransport is among the large number of operators who have chosen and use the AW189 worldwide for modern, long range, high capacity and cost/effective missions supporting the energy industry. Leonardo’s investments into Norway dating back to 2025, aimed at strengthening localized customer support service and establish an AW189 Full Flight Simulator (FSS) in the country, will be extremely beneficial to make sure Lufttransport’s operations are carried out even more effectively and efficiently.
Belonging to the AW Family of products, the AW189 (8.3/8.6 tonne) combines superior payload and range with advanced technologies to successfully operate a wide range of missions such as search and rescue, energy industry support, passenger transport, firefighting, and law enforcement. Unique features of the helicopter include the capability of the main transmission to run without oil for 50 minutes and a built-in auxiliary power unit.
The AW189 is available with more than 200 certified kits and is also the only aircraft in its class featuring a Full Ice Protection System (or, alternatively, a Limited Ice Protection System) certified for use in Europe, US and Canada.
The type is delivered with a comprehensive support and training service package tailored to meet specific customer requirements to maximise mission effectiveness and safety of operations. The type is also certified for an automatic data transmission system enabling the aircraft to transmit flight data to a ground station using satellite communication in flight, 4G cell connectivity or Wi-Fi when on the ground. It offers a secure way to share an accurate picture of each flight so that Leonardo experts can assess data quickly, thus optimizing maintenance and support.
Over 170 AW189s have been ordered by operators worldwide to date, with 100 of them already in service. After around 11 years since its certification, the AW189 remains the world’s leader in the super-medium helicopter class by market size, number of operators, countries, and applications including offshore transport, search and rescue, firefighting/disaster relief, law enforcement and passenger transport. The AW189 is growing its presence in existing customers’ fleets as well as being selected by all new operators, particularly in the energy and public service markets.
Lufttransport was founded in 1955 and is one of Norway's oldest aviation companies with a long and proud history in both aircraft and helicopter operations. Over the years, the company has operated ambulance aircraft, surveillance aircraft, ambulance helicopters, search and rescue helicopters, and scheduled helicopters.
In addition to the group's aircraft in Svalbard and helicopters on the mainland, Lufttransport operates its own maintenance organization. This organization services both the company’s aircraft, the Norwegian Armed Forces' aircraft and UIT's Arctic University of Norway's training aircraft at Bardufoss. Lufttransport is also approved as a flight school. Lufttransport’s vision is "Sustainable Aviation" and the strategy is to deliver leading flight safety solutions.
About Leonardo : Leonardo is an international industrial group, among the main global companies in Aerospace, Defence, and Security (AD&S). With 60,000 employees worldwide, the company approaches global security through the Helicopters, Electronics, Aeronautics, Cyber & Security and Space sectors, and is a partner on the most important international programmes such as Eurofighter, JSF, NH-90, FREMM, GCAP, and Eurodrone. Leonardo has significant production capabilities in Italy, the UK, Poland, and the USA.
Leonardo utilises its subsidiaries, joint ventures, and shareholdings, which include Leonardo DRS (71.4%), MBDA (25%), ATR (50% ), Hensoldt (22.8%), Telespazio (67%), Thales Alenia Space (33%), and Avio (19.3%). Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange (LDO), in 2024 Leonardo recorded new orders for €20.9 billion, with an order book of €44.2 billion and consolidated revenues of €17.8 billion. Included in the MIB ESG index, the company has also been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) since 2010.
This contract will bring to twelve the number of AW189s to be operated by Lufttransport, following contract awards in early 2025, respectively by Equinor to operate five aircraft and Vår Energi to fly two. Two more aircraft had already been ordered and are expected to be delivered soon.
An established AW139 operator with seven units in service today, Lufttransport is among the large number of operators who have chosen and use the AW189 worldwide for modern, long range, high capacity and cost/effective missions supporting the energy industry. Leonardo’s investments into Norway dating back to 2025, aimed at strengthening localized customer support service and establish an AW189 Full Flight Simulator (FSS) in the country, will be extremely beneficial to make sure Lufttransport’s operations are carried out even more effectively and efficiently.
Belonging to the AW Family of products, the AW189 (8.3/8.6 tonne) combines superior payload and range with advanced technologies to successfully operate a wide range of missions such as search and rescue, energy industry support, passenger transport, firefighting, and law enforcement. Unique features of the helicopter include the capability of the main transmission to run without oil for 50 minutes and a built-in auxiliary power unit.
The AW189 is available with more than 200 certified kits and is also the only aircraft in its class featuring a Full Ice Protection System (or, alternatively, a Limited Ice Protection System) certified for use in Europe, US and Canada.
The type is delivered with a comprehensive support and training service package tailored to meet specific customer requirements to maximise mission effectiveness and safety of operations. The type is also certified for an automatic data transmission system enabling the aircraft to transmit flight data to a ground station using satellite communication in flight, 4G cell connectivity or Wi-Fi when on the ground. It offers a secure way to share an accurate picture of each flight so that Leonardo experts can assess data quickly, thus optimizing maintenance and support.
Over 170 AW189s have been ordered by operators worldwide to date, with 100 of them already in service. After around 11 years since its certification, the AW189 remains the world’s leader in the super-medium helicopter class by market size, number of operators, countries, and applications including offshore transport, search and rescue, firefighting/disaster relief, law enforcement and passenger transport. The AW189 is growing its presence in existing customers’ fleets as well as being selected by all new operators, particularly in the energy and public service markets.
Lufttransport was founded in 1955 and is one of Norway's oldest aviation companies with a long and proud history in both aircraft and helicopter operations. Over the years, the company has operated ambulance aircraft, surveillance aircraft, ambulance helicopters, search and rescue helicopters, and scheduled helicopters.
In addition to the group's aircraft in Svalbard and helicopters on the mainland, Lufttransport operates its own maintenance organization. This organization services both the company’s aircraft, the Norwegian Armed Forces' aircraft and UIT's Arctic University of Norway's training aircraft at Bardufoss. Lufttransport is also approved as a flight school. Lufttransport’s vision is "Sustainable Aviation" and the strategy is to deliver leading flight safety solutions.
About Leonardo : Leonardo is an international industrial group, among the main global companies in Aerospace, Defence, and Security (AD&S). With 60,000 employees worldwide, the company approaches global security through the Helicopters, Electronics, Aeronautics, Cyber & Security and Space sectors, and is a partner on the most important international programmes such as Eurofighter, JSF, NH-90, FREMM, GCAP, and Eurodrone. Leonardo has significant production capabilities in Italy, the UK, Poland, and the USA.
Leonardo utilises its subsidiaries, joint ventures, and shareholdings, which include Leonardo DRS (71.4%), MBDA (25%), ATR (50% ), Hensoldt (22.8%), Telespazio (67%), Thales Alenia Space (33%), and Avio (19.3%). Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange (LDO), in 2024 Leonardo recorded new orders for €20.9 billion, with an order book of €44.2 billion and consolidated revenues of €17.8 billion. Included in the MIB ESG index, the company has also been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) since 2010.
See also |
AW189 in
Lufttransport AS 
Oil and Gas Industry in Norway AW189 in
Equinor 
