AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica Company, is pleased to announce that Vinair Aeroserviços S.A. of Portugal has taken delivery of its first GrandNew light twin helicopter. This aircraft will be used to perform public transport operations. Vinair Aeroserviços S.A. was the first customer for the GrandNew, an evolution of the highly successful Grand helicopter.

Vinair Aeroserviços S.A. has been an AgustaWestland customer since 1999 when Vinair Aeroserviços S.A. bought an AW109 Power light twin helicopter that remains in service. The order for the GrandNew has strengthened the relationship between AgustaWestland and Vinair Aeroserviços S.A. confirming the interest of Vinair Aeroserviços S.A. in the very latest rotorcraft developments and the capability of AgustaWestland to design products at the forefront of technology. The next generation of the highly acclaimed Grand model will significantly enhance Vinair Aeroserviços S.A. operations providing unprecedented levels of advanced technology, cabin space and comfort, performance, safety and low operating costs and offering a unique flight experience for their customers.

The Grand New features the most modern developments in avionics while retaining the outstanding Grand’s characteristics. The GrandNew is the first type certified light twin (CS/JAR/FAR 27) to enter service with a new EFIS featuring Synthetic Vision and the first helicopter in this class on the market fully compliant with the latest advanced global positioning system-based navigation requirements for all weather operations. The Grand New offers the operators unprecedented opportunities for the exploitation of rotorcraft capabilities setting a new standard on the helicopter market in a multitude of applications.

Following its launch in February this year the GrandNew quickly found a steadily growing success in the world market with orders for over 50 units so far for various duties. Orders for around 290 helicopters from the Grand series have been placed by almost 150 customers in over 30 countries worldwide, in order to perform several tasks also including VIP/corporate transport, passenger transport, EMS, SAR, harbour pilot shuttle, maritime patrol and water pollution monitoring.

A leading provider of private VIP/corporate transport services Vinair Aeroserviços S.A. is provided with a mixed rotary and fix winged fleet to meet a large range of customer transport requirements connecting Portuguese ‘Cascais’ Airport to several destinations in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia.