Heli-One, a leading provider of helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, has recently been contracted by Leonardo to support the fleet of AW101 SAR Queen helicopters operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force. Personnel from Heli-One’s Stavanger facility will be working with Leonardo staff to perform line maintenance, increasing the amount of trained personnel available to support the new fleet.

Norway contracted Leonardo to deliver 16 new AW101 NAWSARH (Norwegian All-Weather Search and Rescue Helicopters) aircraft optimised for long-range and maritime operations. The NAWSARH helicopters feature airframe, component, cabin and avionics customizations that are suited for Norway’s dynamic airborne operating environment. The SAR Queen helicopters, assembled in Leonardo in Yeovil’s (UK) facilities, officially became operational from the Royal Norwegian Air Force base in Sola in 2020. Currently the fleet is at 13 aircraft located across the Sola, Ørland, Banak, and Bodø bases with plans to expand their presence to 2 other locations in the country.

“Our team is excited to support this new fleet in Norway and we are delighted to further expand our already-extensive relationship with Leonardo. Our team has decades of experience in maintaining North Sea-based helicopters and we are honoured to bring that expertise to supporting this fleet which provides such a critical service,” said Carolyn Forsyth, General Manager of Sales, Commercial & Customer Support.

“It has been a great pleasure to work with the Leonardo leadership team in Norway and the UK, and I am proud to support the long-term success of the NAWSARH fleet to save lives in Norway” added Jens Morten Mørland, Heli-One Sales Director.