AgustaWestland Hands Over 500th AW139 Helicopter To Malaysia's Weststar Aviation Services

By Joshua Foong FARNBOROUGH, England, July 13 (Bernama) -- AgustaWestland handed over the 500th AW139 helicopter to Malaysia's Weststar Aviation Services in a ceremony at the Farnborough International Airshow Thursday. The aircraft was received by Weststar Group Managing Director Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim from AgustaWestland Chief Executive Officer Bruno Spagnolini in a handing-ver ceremony witnessed by Defence Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. “As the leading offshore aviation services provider in the region, Weststar Aviation Services is proud to be affiliated with top helicopter manufacturers in the world and honoured to be part of this impressive milestone for AgustaWestland. "The AW139 helicopter is truly the best in its class and it has served us very well,” said Syed Azman. Weststar Aviation Services is the largest AW139 helicopter operators in Asia and has ordered 16 AW139s. This aircraft is the 13th to be delivered. Having started AW139 operations in April last year, Weststar Aviation Services’ fleet has now flown more than 16,000 hours in support of Petronas and other oil companies offshore operations in Peninsular Malaysia. The 500th delivery comes just one year after AgustaWestland, part of the Italian conglomerate, Finmeccanica, delivered the 400th helicopter. "The AW139 continues to be the outright class leader worldwide and we are delighted that we are celebrating the delivery of the 500th aircraft with one of our most important customers, Weststar Aviation Services," Spagnolini said. The AW139 has become the best selling helicopter in its class for an impressive variety of commercial and government roles meeting the most demanding requirements across the globe. Since its certification in 2003, the AW139 has been constantly enhanced to achieve ever increasing performance levels, safety, mission effectiveness and capabilities to meet the very latest challenging requirements of present and future customers. The AW139 has a maximum cruise speed of 165 knots (306 km/h) and a maximum range in excess of 570 nm (1060 km) with auxiliary fuel. The advanced integrated cockpit with state-of-the-art technology minimises pilot workload allowing the crew to concentrate on mission objectives. Five hundred aircraft are now in service, performing many roles, including save and rescue, offshore transport, VIP and corporate transport, law enforcement and military transport. About 170 customers over 50 countries have ordered nearly 640 AW139 helicopters so far. -- BERNAMA