Leonardo confirms its leadership in the private helicopter transport market by announcing new contracts in Latin America during official ceremonies at the LABACE 2023 airshow (8-10 August).
Gruppomodena SA has become the official distributor for Leonardo's helicopter models AW119Kx, AW109, AW169 and AW139 in the civil market in Uruguay and Argentina and has also signed a contract for two light single-engine AW119Kx. One of the major players in the field of helicopter services in Latin America, Gruppomodena SA has long been operating AW109 and AW139 helicopters for various applications such as passenger transport, offshore transport to support the energy industry and rescue tasks and is also an authorized technical assistance center for the reference market. In addition, a Brazilian private operator ordered a light twin-engine AW109 GrandNew during the show. All helicopters ordered from LABACE will be fitted with customized VIP interiors and will be employed for private and corporate transport duties in the relevant geographical areas.
At LABACE, the Brazilian distributor of Leonardo's new generation AW09 single-engine helicopter, Gualter Helicopters (Aero Service Representação), signed contracts for three units for executive transport with as many private operators in the country. These latest successes for AW09 in Brazil were achieved just two months after the signing of the distribution agreement between Leonardo and Gualter Helicopters, which had previously signed preliminary contracts for 20 units in March, further demonstrating the market's strong interest in the new helicopter model. Acquired three years ago by Leonardo, the AW09 program fits perfectly into its product range, introducing a totally new design capable of sustaining the company's long-term competitiveness in the single-engine market segment.
With a 45% share in the last ten years, Leonardo is the world leader in the market of twin-engine helicopters dedicated to VIP/corporate transport, for applications including private, charter and government transport, thanks to the broadest and most modern product range. There are over 900 Leonardo VIP/corporate helicopters in service worldwide today, 25% of which are based in Latin America. Leonardo also benefits from the Agusta brand for its new initiatives in the VIP market, a brand that effectively sums up the unique combination of cutting-edge technology, Italian comfort and style and best-in-class performance, all aspects widely recognized in the reference market, in able to offer an exclusive service and flight experience. Furthermore, operators in the region are supported by the new Logistics Center in Itapevi (San Paolo), the construction of which has made it possible to further increase the level of quality of technical assistance in the area over the past two years, with the possibility of further expansion in the future.
