Leonardo is expanding its share of the growing Bangladeshi helicopter market with the announcement, during the Singapore Airshow, of the upcoming delivery of five helicopters to Bashundhara Airways, comprising three AW109 Trekkers and two AW119Kxs.
The helicopters will be used for EMS, utility, law enforcement, surveillance, VIP, corporate and passenger transport applications and are all scheduled to be delivered before the end of 2018 bringing Leonardo’s market share to exceed a 30 percent.
Furthermore, Bashundhara Airways has been appointed exclusive distributor of Leonardo civil helicopters in Bangladesh and will establish a service center for the country, thus beginning a fruitful collaboration. The appointment marks another step in Leonardo’s ongoing expansion of its customer support network around the world, establishing centers close to customers to provide quicker and better services.
Leonardo already has an established presence in Bangladesh with government customers operating helicopters – including twin-engine AW139s with the Bangladesh Air Force and AW109Ms with the Navy – and other defense and security systems.
Bashundhara Airways is part of Bashundhara Group, one of the largest conglomerates of Bangladesh. Lead by the dynamic leadership of managing director Safwan Sobhan, the company debuted in late 2016 with a vision to be one of the remarkable and extraordinary air service providers of Southeast Asia, to be the most cost-effective and upholding uncompromised safety, and to provide unmatched quality and unbroken commitments.
Bashundhara Airways is working with the Bangaldesh government to establish the first and only private heliport in the heart of Dhaka.
The AW119Kx is a best-in-class, single-engine helicopter featuring a state-of-the-art avionics system for enhanced situational awareness, mission effectiveness and safety. Nearly 300 AW119 helicopters have been ordered to date in almost 40 countries by over 120 customers.
The AW109 Trekker is the latest addition to Leonardo’s helicopter portfolio and the company’s first light twin to offer skid landing gear. Featuring modern modular avionics, it can be easily configured for a wide range of roles and is the ideal solution for EMS, utility, SAR, law enforcement, surveillance and passenger transport applications.
Orders for over 40 AW109 Trekkers have been logged so far by customers in Europe, North America and Asia to perform roles like emergency medical service, law enforcement and utility missions.
