Leasing group Milestone Aviation announced today its first deal involving Eurocopter aircraft through an agreement to place four new EC145s with Mexican operator Transportes Aereos Pegaso. The helicopters, which have just been delivered from Eurocopter’s factory in Donauworth, Germany, will be used for a support contract that Pegaso has with Mexican government utility group Comisión Federal de Electricidad. The Mexico City-based enterprise has been a Eurocopter operator for more than 30 years. Its new contract calls for the use of eight new EC 145s in total. The lease deal for the first four of these helicopters is valued at $28 million. “For a business of our size, the smart way to acquire eight new helicopters is a blend of aircraft ownership and leasing to strengthen our return on invested capital and allow us to pursue additional contracts,” said Pegaso executive director Enrique Zepeda. “Fortunately Milestone could act quickly and deliver 100-percent lease financing on the first four helicopters, which will help us secure superior debt financing terms on the four remaining machines.” Milestone chairman Richard Santulli said his team closed the deal within six weeks of initial discussions. The Dublin, Ireland-based company, which handles leases for both helicopters and business jets, has now leased more than two dozen aircraft in deals worth more than $200 million and further commitments will take this total beyond $300 million by year-end.