Story ID: 
AgustaWestland Notches More Malaysian Business
By: Mark Phelps
Caption: More helicopters and training commitment announced for the region.
Word Count: 218
Following up on positive market reports from yesterday at Malaysia’s LIMA show, AgustaWestland announced contracts for three more helicopters from Malaysian-based Weststar General Aviation. Spanning the range from light-single-engine to light-intermediate twins, the three helicopters are one AS119Kx, one AW109 GrandNew and one AW169. Weststar will use the three helicopters for executive/corporate transport. Weststar group managing director Tan Sri Sued Azman Syed Ibrahim said, “We are seeing a new demand taking shape at the top of the business aviation supply chain. The helicopter charter services market is growing.” Weststar is primarily known for its offshore support services to the oil-and-gas industry.

AgustaWestland announced further inroads in Malaysia with a memorandum of understanding with training providers PWN Excellence and CAE to evaluate plans for introducing AW169 and AW189 full-flight simulators in the country. The simulators would join the already successful AW139 training programs in the region, according to AgustaWestland. And expanding on that program, the rotorcraft manufacturer announced at LIMA its training academy in Malaysia will soon receive an AW139 maintenance trainer simulator, enabling maintenance technicians to train on a fully representative airframe and avionics platform.

AgustaWestland Malaysia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica-AgustaWestland, and its investment in the region is dedicated to expanding the helicopter market.