Helicopter leasing company Milestone Aviation Group has agreed to lease four Leonardo helicopters to the German offshore helicopter operator HeliService International, the companies announced last week at Heli-Expo 2023. The lease agreements cover two Leonardo AW139s and two AW169s. Milestone recently handed over the first AW139 to HeliService, and plans call for delivery of the second AW139 in April.
HeliService plans to operate the AW139s at its offshore wind farm at the German Bight in the southeastern region of the North Sea. The AW169s, which Leonardo plans to deliver in mid-2023, will support offshore wind projects in Taiwan, according to Milestone.
“Offshore wind is an exciting growth area for helicopter leasing, and we are delighted to be able to support HeliService as they expand their fleet and services,” said Sebastien Moulin, Milestone’s head of Europe and the Americas. “We look forward to a long and successful relationship with HeliService.”
“The Taiwanese offshore wind market is one of the key global growth markets for offshore wind,” added HeliService CEO Oliver Freiland. “Helicopters are a crucial element in meeting this growth in demand given the vital role they play in ensuring the maintenance of offshore wind turbines, particularly in the harsh sea conditions of Taiwan.”