A multi-engine, instrument rated pilot, James Wynbrandt has been an AIN and Business Jet Traveler contributor since 2003. His in-depth reporting and insightful features have won more than a dozen editorial honors, including two National Business Aviation Association Gold Wing Awards (2019; 2021), and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Barron’s, Fortune, Forbes, and Smithsonian Air &amp; Space. He has flown his Mooney M20K 252 on assignments throughout North and Central America and the Caribbean. Wynbrandt is also the author of Flying High (Wiley &amp; Sons), a biography of Jet Blue founder David Neeleman, as well as histories, references works, and books on a variety of other topics from major publishers. He lives in New York City.

Contributor - Business Aviation

James Wynbrandt

Lease Corporation International (LCI) of Dublin, Ireland, inked a contract today at Heli-Expo 2014 with AgustaWestland for as many as 18 helicopters worth more than $280 million. The order includes up to 14 AW139 intermediate helicopters and up to four twin-engine AW189s. The helicopters will be delivered from 2014 through 2018, if all options are exercised. LCI <a href="mailto:http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ainalerts/2012-02-12/agustawestland-lands-398m-helicopter-order">already has a contract with AgustaWestland placed in early 2012 worth $400 million</a> that also includes AW169s.


“[AgustaWestland] helicopters are particularly well-suited to the market and are proving to be very popular with our lessees for a variety of roles,” said LCI executive chairman Crispin Maunder. “In particular we are pleased about the new super-medium category of helicopters, and our endorsement of the AW189 with the follow-on order underscores our intention to be a major player in this space.”


The AW139, AW169 and AW189 represent a new generation of helicopters spanning the four- to eight-ton weight category, and share a common cockpit layout, design philosophy and maintenance concept.

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