Operators plan to wait and see on Santulli’s Milestone venture
Richard Santulli’s re-entry into the helicopter game drew mixed reaction from a variety of operators who spoke to AIN.

Richard Santulli’s re-entry into the helicopter game drew mixed reaction from a variety of operators who spoke to AIN. Santulli is the CEO of the newly formed Milestone Aviation Group, a company that will devote most of its resources to helicopter leasing and sale leasebacks. (See article on page 6.) Santulli formed the company to serve an “underserved market niche,” saying, “many good helicopter operators worldwide cannot get access to capital despite a demand for their services. At Milestone, we believe the quality of an operator should be defined by more than just its balance sheet.”

Santulli is not new to the helicopter market. His first foray into it was the formation of RTS Helicopter Leasing, which focused on serving the Gulf of Mexico market and later grew into the world’s largest helicopter lessor.