Weststar Aviation Services of Malaysia has ordered five more Leonardo AW139 intermediate twin-turbine helicopters that will join its existing fleet. Separately, Leonardo announced that Weststar will lease a Leonardo AW609 tiltrotor, demonstrate it in-country, and use it in a variety of operational roles. Leonardo will support the AW609 and the AW139s from its maintenance and training hub near Kuala Lumpur.
The AW139s will be configured to support Weststar’s offshore energy support business. Weststar operates over 35 Leonardo AW139, AW169, and AW189 helicopters out of its bases in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Namibia, Mauritania, Gabon, and the Republic of Congo. A VIP-configured Weststar AW139 recently became the first to fly in Malaysia fueled with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which was supplied by Petronas Dagangan Berhad in collaboration with global SAF producer Neste.
“At Weststar, we are committed to driving sustainable aviation practices and reducing our carbon footprint. We are a step closer toward reducing the environmental impact of Malaysia’s rotor wing sector with the successful demonstration flight of our AW139 fueled with sustainable aviation fuel,” said Tan Sri Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim, Weststar group managing director.