Rotorcraft
Agusta to build Koalas in Philly
AgustaWestland recently disclosed it is moving production of the A119 Koala single-engine helicopter from Italy to Philadelphia.

AgustaWestland recently disclosed it is moving production of the A119 Koala single-engine helicopter from Italy to Philadelphia. Flanked by Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell and local politicians, company officials broke ground on March 2 on a manufacturing and final assembly plant at Northeast Philadelphia Airport, where about 20 Koalas will be built each year.

Seeking a U.S. label for a helicopter that is popular with law-enforcement and medevac operators across the country, the move is part of a broader strategy to increase helicopter production and sales in North America, according to Giuseppe Orsi, Agusta’s managing director. The Koala plant, he said, is scheduled to be up and running by this fall.