Weststar Orders One AW609 and Five AW139s

Leonardo has received an order for six helicopters – an AW609 tiltrotor and five AW139s – from Weststar, a Malaysia-based provider of offshore helicopter services.

The announcement was made at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA), which is being held from May 23 to 27. 

The AW609 will be operated under a lease contract and used to conduct various missions in Malaysia. The five AW139 intermediate twin helicopters will be delivered in an offshore configuration to further strengthen Weststar’s support to the regional energy sector. 

In addition to delivering the helicopters, Leonardo will also provide training and maintenance support. 

As Weststar continues to push the boundaries of innovation and operational excellence, we are excited to partner with Leonardo to introduce the AW609 tiltrotor in Malaysia,” said Tan Sri Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim, the Group Managing Director of The Weststar Group. “This groundbreaking aircraft will revolutionize our operational capabilities, providing us with a versatile platform to fulfill our various missions. 

“We are proud to be the pioneer in bringing the world’s first multirole tiltrotor to Southeast Asia, and we look forward to demonstrating its exceptional capabilities to our present and potential clients.”

Weststar also announced the first demonstration flight of its AW139 using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The VIP configuration helicopter took off from Subang Airport and flew to LIMA on May 22, marking the first flight of its kind involving a helicopter. 

“At Weststar, we are committed to driving sustainable aviation practices and reducing our carbon footprint. We are a step closer toward reducing the environmental impact of Malaysia’s rotor wing sector with the successful demonstration flight of our AW139 fuelled with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF),” Tan said. 

“This achievement exemplifies our commitment to harnessing innovative solutions driving positive change in the industry. We remain dedicated to shaping a greener future for the aviation industry and reducing carbon emissions across borders.”

The deal with Weststar comes just a day after Leonardo received an order for one AW109 GrandNew and one AW109 Trekker from Sloane, its UK and Ireland regional distributor.

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