Market Spotlight: Leonardo AW109

The origins of the Leonardo AW109 can be traced back to the late 1960s when Italian manufacturer Agusta launched the development of a light-medium turbine helicopter – the original A109. The initial single-engine design was replaced by a twin-engine configuration and the prototype A109 first flew in August 1971. Visual Flight Rules (VFR) certification from the US FAA was achieved in June 1975 and the A109A entered service in 1976. Numerous variants were introduced throughout the years and the A109/AW109 series has remained in production for more than 50 years.

The first A109s were powered by the Allison 250-C20 turboshaft engine, with an upgraded A109A Mk II introduced in 1981, followed by a “widebody” variant in 1985, which featured more cabin space. In 1993, the Turbomeca (Safran) Arriel 1K1-powered A109 K2 model entered service, with improved hot-and-high performance and aimed at the rescue/EMS market. The A109 Power was launched in 1996, and is an upgraded version of the K2 with an additional engine option of Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206Cs.

In 2000, the A109 series was re-designated as AW109, following the merger of Agusta and Westland. The next model – the AW109S Grand entered service in 2005, which offers a larger cabin with more flexible layouts aimed at both the corporate/VIP and EMS sectors. It also features the uprated PW207 engines and upgraded main rotor blades. The AW109SP GrandNew was launched in February 2010, and features Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS) and Terrain Awareness Warning System (TAWS) as standard fit, in addition to a four-axis digital autopilot. The AW109 Trekker was launched in 2014, and is based on the S Grand. The EMS-focused, PW207C-powered Trekker is also fitted with skids rather than wheeled landing gear. It also has a lower price point than the more VIP-focused GrandNew. First deliveries of the Trekker were made in 2018.

The A109/AW109 series can accommodate six to seven passengers in a corporate/VIP configuration,
and is one of the most popular types worldwide in that role. Other popular missions for the A109/AW109 comprise law enforcement, EMS and utility. The current in production models are the Trekker and GrandNew. The main competitors of the A109/AW109 include the Airbus H135, H145 and Bell 429.

Data Source: AMSTAT, Conklin & de Decker, ASG
Note: Using Conklin de Decker data under the assumption of 400 flight hours per year. The number of total aircraft in operation are from Amstat and ASG, which might differ from Leonardo’s official numbers.

There were more than 900 civil registered AW109 helicopters in service worldwide at the end of Q4 2025, with around one-third based in Europe. North America and Latin America each had a 20% fleet share while 16% of the fleet was based in Asia-Pacific (including Oceania).

Data Source: AMSTAT & ASG

Data Source: AMSTAT & Jetnet

The Asia-Pacific fleet was led by Japan with 67 based AW109s at the end of 2025, which comprised 38 AW109E Power, 23 AW109SP GrandNew, four AW109 Trekker, one AW109S Grand and one A109A Mk II. The type is highly popular with law enforcement agencies across Japan, with almost 40% of the 2025 year end based fleet serving that role. Twenty-three of the Japan-based AW109s were operated as corporate and private helicopters and nine were EMS configured examples. The remaining fleet was operated in multi-mission, news reporting and training roles.

The Japan National Police was the largest operator of the AW109 in Asia-Pacific with 26 units. Japanese operators Shizuoka Air Commuter, Kagoshima International Aviation and Ogawa Air were also among the largest operators of the type in the region.

There were 30 AW109s based in India at the end of Q4 2025, which comprised 10 AW109S Grand, 10 AW109E Power, six AW109SP GrandNew and four AW109C. Some 60% of the India-based AW109 fleet was operated in the corporate role, with the remaining fleet being passenger and multi-mission focused.
India-based OSS Air Management was the largest operator of the AW109 in India with a fleet of five.

A fleet of 19 AW109s were based in Australia at the end of Q4 2025 – nine AW109SP GrandNew, four AW109E, three AW109C, two AW109S Grand and one A109A. The fleet was operated in a number of roles including corporate, passenger, multi-mission and offshore support and crew transfer. China has a fleet of 12 AW109s, which comprised six AW109SP GrandNew, four AW109 Trekker and two AW109E Power deployed in EMS, law enforcement, news reporting and multi-mission.

Data Source: ASG

Market Values for the AW109 remained fairly stable throughout 2025, with some minor adjustments made based on market activity.