Honeywell International Inc. (NYSE: HON) has confirmed Heliconia Group as an approved helicopter avionics dealership in North Africa. Now, owners of Leonardo Helicopters AW139 platforms equipped with Honeywell International Inc.’s technologies can service and upgrade their aircraft locally, without flying outside the African continent. With access to spares, repairs, modifications and upgrades in region, customers benefit from faster turnaround times and reduced inventory spares holdings, while decreasing cost and improving equipment reliability and passenger safety.

“Access to local service, support and upgrades is a must have for any operator; reliable equipment is intrinsic to safe and efficient flights,” said Chris Krajewski, CEO, Heliconia Group. “We are proud to be partnering with Honeywell International Inc. to provide these much-needed services to our rapidly developing region, in North and West Africa. We can provide tactile and readily available support to meet the needs of our customers across the region — putting Heliconia’s expertise and Honeywell’s industry-leading technology right on their doorstep.”

Under the agreement, helicopter operators can now use Heliconia’s Marrakech, Morocco, base as a service point for their aircraft, limiting downtime and making upgrades easier. Operators also benefit from Heliconia’s expertise in Honeywell International Inc.’s integrated avionics systems and satellite connectivity systems. These systems greatly increase pilot and aircraft efficiency and safety. For example, pilots can stay connected anywhere to talk and text from the aircraft with Aspire 200; operators can easily monitor the health of their fleets to limit downtime caused by maintenance delays with Honeywell’s Health and Usage Monitoring Systems. This ensures aircraft are ready for a range of missions, from standard offshore crew transportation to highly specialized search and rescue missions.

“We are delighted to be adding the proven capability of the Heliconia Group as an approved dealership. This will help us provide exceptional levels of service that were previously inaccessible to our customers in North and West Africa,” said Rudolph Louw, aerospace leader, Africa at Honeywell Aerospace, Honeywell International Inc. “The move is a testament to our commitment to the region and a desire to improve support structures with local specialists so that operators can reduce the kind of downtime and delays that impact time-sensitive operations.”

As an approved dealer, Heliconia Group can provide support and services for all Leonardo Helicopters AW139 operators looking to maintain and upgrade their aircraft. This includes the Honeywell Avionics Protection Plan, whichhelps customers, control and manage their maintenance costs.