Air Zermatt has ordered the Marenco Swisshelicopter SKYe SH09, becoming a launch customer for the new single-engine turbine helicopter. The Swiss operator, which was founded in 1968 to perform rescue missions in the Alpine regions and has expanded into a number of operations, said increasing requirements for performance and operational flexibility “require a conceptually new single-engine turbine.”
Air Zermatt CEO Gerold Biner added, “Important for us is the fact that Marenco Swisshelicopter enables us to influence the helicopter’s design with our 45 years of experience in aerial work and air rescue.”
Marenco Swisshelicopter, which just began flight testing the second SKYe SH09 prototype, is hoping for EASA certification in 2017 with FAA validation a year later. The company also kicked off Heli-Expo with a letter of intent from Canadian operator Horizon Helicopters.