Leonardo is expanding its share of the growing Bangladeshi helicopter market with the announcement, during Singapore Air Show, of the upcoming delivery of five helicopters to Bashundhara Airways, comprising three AW109 Trekkers and two AW119Kx. The helicopters will be used for EMS, utility, law-enforcement, surveillance, VIP, corporate & passenger transport applications and are all scheduled to be delivered before the end of 2018 bringing Leonardo’s market share to exceed a 30%.

Furthermore, Bashundhara Airways has been appointed exclusive distributor of Leonardo civil helicopters in Bangladesh and will establish a Service Centre for the Country, thus beginning a fruitful collaboration. The appointment marks another step in Leonardo’s ongoing expansion of its customer support network around the world, establishing centers close to customers to provide quicker and better services.

Leonardo already has an established presence in Bangladesh with government customers operating helicopters – including twin-engine AW139s with the Bangladesh Air Force and AW109Ms with the Navy – and other defence and security systems

Bashundhara Airways is part of Bashundhara Group, one of the largest conglomerates of Bangladesh. Leaded by the dynamic leadership of Managing Director Mr. Safwan Sobhan, the company, debuted in late 2016 great vision to be one of the remarkable & extraordinary air service providers of south-east Asia, being the most cost-effective & upholding uncompromised safety, unmatched quality & unbroken commitments. Bashundhara Airways is working with the Bangaldesh government to establish the first & only private heliport in the heart of Dhaka.

The AW119Kx is a best in class single engine helicopter featuring a ‘state-of-the-art’ avionics system for enhanced situational awareness, mission effectiveness and safety. Nearly 300 AW119 helicopters have been ordered to date in almost 40 countries by over 120 customers.

The AW109 Trekker is the latest addition to Leonardo’s helicopter portfolio and the company’s first light twin to offer skid landing gear. Featuring modern modular avionics it can be easily configured for a wide range of roles and is the ideal solution for EMS, utility, SAR, law enforcement, surveillance and passenger transport applications. Orders for over 40 AW109 Trekkers have been logged so far by customers in Europe, North America and Asia to perform roles like emergency medical service, law enforcement and utility missions.