Finmeccanica announced today that the fleet of 26 AgustaWestland AW189 super medium twin engine helicopters, in service with customers across four continents, has exceeded 10,000 flight hours. The milestone, achieved less than two years after the first aircraft delivery, marks a major commercial and operational milestone for the most successful helicopter in the all-new super medium category, aimed at meeting long range, large capacity requirements with unprecedented levels of cost effectiveness compared to larger and heavier helicopter models in the market.

The AW189s already in service have performed their missions across various geographies including Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America with leading customers in UK, Denmark, Malaysia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and USA with high availability and operational effectiveness. The AW189 has also established itself as the bestselling aircraft in this specific class among competing types, with over 150 units sold so far, including firm orders, options and framework contracts, to over 20 customers in 14 nations. Also, the new helicopter features today the largest number of dedicated configurations in its market, covering various roles including offshore transport, search and rescue, executive/private transport, firefighting and disaster relief. Additional AW189s are to be delivered in several other countries including Russia, China and Brazil.