Leonardo announced during an official ceremony held at Helitech in Amsterdam, that Specialist Aviation Services (SAS) has been appointed an Excellent Service Centre for the AW169 light intermediate and AW139 intermediate twin engine helicopters in UK and Ireland.

An established service centre for the AW169 and AW139 types in UK providing a range of support and maintenance services, as well as a prime AW169 customer itself with 12 units ordered in the last six years dedicated to Emergency Medical Service (EMS) nationwide and first entry into service in early 2016, SAS has now been ranked ‘Excellent’ under Leonardo’s guidelines. This ranking is assigned by Leonardo to selected Service Centres focused on maintaining third party fleets and having the largest scope of service capabilities, all while guaranteeing the continued achievement of Leonardo’s customers stringent expectations and considering specific market requirements. With over 100 helicopter service and maintenance centres worldwide to date, Leonardo plans to establish at least one ‘Excellent’ centre in all strategic markets. This step reflects a strong commitment to position the customer at the core of any activity undertaken by Leonardo, from design to through life cycle support.

SAS carries out its support service activities at its base in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. A second base in Redhill, Surrey is being set up in view of supporting the AW139 in the VIP/corporate market. The solid, growing partnership with SAS has seen the introduction of the new generation AW169 in the UK’s EMS market. Eight AW169 helicopters are already in service with UK air ambulance charities comprising Kent Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance (2 aircraft), Children’s Air Ambulance (2 aircraft), Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance and Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, as well as providing a helicopter passenger service to the Isles of Scilly for Skybus. Cornwal Air Ambulance and Magpas Air Ambulance were added earlier this year as the most recent new operators choosing the type. The first four AW169 air ambulances to enter service in the UK in their first year of service have performed approximately 3,000 lifesaving missions and have flown more than 2,200 hours. The Specialist Aviation Services Group is a UK-based aircraft operator and support company providing leading edge solutions internationally to Public Service and VIP customers who depend on aircraft to support their operations. It provides bespoke and professionally managed aviation services – making it the partner of choice for many police, air ambulance, offshore and VIP clients.