U.S.-based helicopter fleet operator Era Group and rotorcraft manufacturer Leonardo have a long-standing relationship, and at the Paris Air show today, the OEM announced that Era’s AW139s have achieved 200,000 flight hours, including 166,000 operating flight hours and 34,000 hours in support of leasing partnerships. Era operates 36 Leonardo AW139 medium-twin helicopters, primarily for offshore oil-and-gas transport, emergency response services, firefighting, utility, and VIP transport.
The company’s AW139 fleet is equipped with a health and usage monitoring system (HUMS). More than 270 customers in around 70 nations have ordered more than 1,100 AW139s to date, with the more than 950 delivered amassing in excess of 2.3 million flight hours. Era’s fleet includes other Leonardo helicopter models including the AW189, AW119, and AW109 Power models. Era’s flight time across all Leonardo models exceeds 350,000 flight hours. Era also operates a Leonardo Service Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
“Era is committed to providing safe, reliable and efficient service to our customers throughout the world,” said Era senior vice president Stuart Stavley. “Our strong operational record and this flight hour milestone is a result of Era’s commitment to safety and the ongoing collaborative support between Leonardo and Era.”
Leonardo also hinted that its AW609 civil tiltrotor program continues to make progress, reiterating today that it plans to deliver the aircraft next year to Era, its U.S. launch customer.