AgustaWestland announced today that Heli Service international GmbH has signed a contract for an AW169 light intermediate helicopter. This aircraft will be delivered by autumn 2016 through specialist aviation lessor LCI Helicopters to undertake offshore operations in the North Sea.

This order marks the first AW169 customer for this application globally and the entry of the all new model into the German helicopter market. Heli Service international’s latest generation AW169 will feature a specially customized configuration including a dedicated offshore interior and rescue hoist to support maintenance personnel attending to wind turbines. Heli Service international will achieve a quantum leap in its capabilities through the performance, technology and safety standards inherent in the modern design of the AW169 which makes it the most advanced helicopter in its category currently available for utility operations.

Managing Directors Eberhard Herr and Nils Herrmann are certain: “After an extensive investigation of all relevant helicopter-types available, we are fully confident to having chosen the perfect match for our offshore customer’s demand for high-quality and safe operation, yet being economically efficient. Also, the consistent development with the ‘bigger brother’ AW139 already in our fleet, convinced us to facilitate extra services while using the existing experiences of both our flight-crews and our engineering department.Especially for hoist-operations onto wind turbines, the AW169 outperforms in every relevant aspect – particularly in range and payload.”

Crispin Maunder, Executive Chairman of LCI, says: “We’re delighted to be strengthening our existing partnership with Heli service by introducing the innovative, new AW169 to their fleet alongside the AW139s we already lease to them. These state-of-the-art helicopters are helping to ensure the efficiency of Heli service’s operations.”

Heli Service international GmbH Background Information

Established in 1987, HeliService delivers rescue service,aviation school, passenger and cargo transports, and training for offshore service-personnel, and also acts as a maintenance organization.
With more than 25 years experience in commercial air transportation, Heli Service international has established a core competence in offshore aviation by transporting personnel and cargo to and from wind farms, research and construction vessels as well as transporting injured personnel. Unique specialties include helicopter hoist operations (HHO) directly onto offshore wind turbines.
Since 2004, two ship-borne helicopters have been specially fitted to accompany the research vessel RV Polar stern on expeditions of the German Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) to the Arctic and Antarctica. In addition to the support of research operations, these helicopters serve as means for the recovery of injured personnel.

Flight operations are currently performed from Emden, Bremerhaven, Husum (all Germany) and project based from Esbjerg, Denmark.

LCI Background Information

LCI is owned by Libra Group (www.libra.com), an international business group with 30 subsidiaries operating across six continents. Libra Group’s subsidiaries are primarily focused on aviation, shipping,  hospitality, energy and real estate, along with selected diversified investments. LCI Helicopters’ total fleet comprises 90 delivered and ordered helicopters, including the market-leading AgustaWestland AW139, AW169 and AW189 helicopters, and next generation Airbus Helicopters H175 and H225s. LCI’s helicopters are currently in operation across four continents – Asia, Australasia, Africa and Europe. Since its inception in 2004, LCI has acquired fixed wing and rotary aircraft with a combined value of approaching US$6 billion. For more information, please visit: www.lciaviation.com.