Leonardo (Booth B1005) plans to highlight its EMS capabilities at this year’s Heli-Expo, partly via the display of an air-ambulance-configured AW169 medium twin helicopter at the company’s booth. Leonardo sees its continuing penetration of the rotorcraft EMS market as a growing opportunity and estimates that it already has 27 percent of that world market with 700 of its AW109, AW119, AW139, and AW169 models. It is aggressively promoting the use of its under-development AW09 turbine single and AW609 civil tiltrotor aircraft in this role as well.
With the AW169 in particular, Leonardo sees an opportunity for more market capture, said Sam Schaab, EMS specialist for the company. “The AW169 is our fastest-growing platform, specifically around the EMS segment,” Schaab told AIN. “It’s the only helicopter in its category that has such a large cabin, so it’s especially useful for providers who are trying to do specialty team transport and need to carry additional personnel on board. The modular cabin can be quickly reconfigured for different mission profiles.” Schaab said the company has a “large number” of the aircraft on order and that the continued addition of options, including skidded landing gear and avionics upgrades, should promote additional sales. He is also witnessing interest from Sikorsky S-76 operators who he says “are not seeing the same level of [factory] support that they’ve had historically.”
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