Leonardo-Finmeccanica has announced new orders for the AW169 helicopter, including a new customer in the Republic of Korea.

Helikorea has ordered two aircraft for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) missions. They will join around 50 AgustaWestland helicopters of various types in service or on order for military, parapublic and commercial roles ranging from naval applications, search and rescue, law enforcement, firefighting and VIP/corporate transportation. The contract, which also includes an option for one additional aircraft, foresees deliveries by the end of 2016.

Dublin-based Lease Corporation International (LCI), meanwhile, signed a contract for three additional AgustaWestland AW169s at Helitech, in Amsterdam. This is the second repeat order LCI has signed for the AW169. These particular aircraft are expected to be delivered in mid-2017. In 2016 LCI has already taken delivery of five AW169s which have gone on lease to their customers in the EMS, offshore and utility markets. In 2016 a total of 15 new AW139/AW169/AW189 helicopters have been, or will be, delivered to LCI.

At Helitech, Leonardo also signed a Framework Agreement with Specialist Aviation Services (SAS) of the UK for six additional AgustaWestland AW169s. The aircraft, expected to be delivered between 2017 and 2019, will be used to expand the SAS emergency medical service (EMS) operations across the nation and to enter the offshore windfarm support market. This latest agreement brings the total number of AW169s for the UK market to almost twenty.