Leonardo Leonardo announced today that the AW109 Trekker has been chosen as a new helicopter to support emergency medical service (EMS - Emergency Medical Service) operations from Rouen Hospital in Normandy, France. Equipped with a special configuration and dedicated interiors for rescue tasks, the helicopter will be delivered to the operator SAF Hélicoptères at the end of 2020 from the final assembly line of Vergiate (VA).
SAF Hélicoptères' offer based on the AW109 Trekker was judged the best for the helicopter rescue service following a thorough and rigorous tender procedure, outperforming the competition. The contract thus obtained by SAF Hélicoptères marks the entry of this type of Leonardo twin-engine light helicopter into the civilian market of France after the previous success of the AW109 Power and Grand models for helicopter rescue missions in the country. This result also expands the number of French civilian customers who use Leonardo's helicopters such as the AW109, AW169 and AW139 models for multiple roles, including rescue and VIP / corporate transport. The AW109 Trekker is also an ideal solution for meeting additional healthcare requirements in France in the future.
Tristan Serretta, CEO of SAF Hélicoptères said: “We are proud to be the new helicopter rescue service provider from Rouen Hospital. As a helicopter operator, we always try to offer our customers quality and economically sustainable solutions. We are happy to introduce Leonardo's AW109 Trekker into our fleet. The territory covered by the service will benefit from our solid experience and reliability for this type of mission, together with the exceptional capabilities of the Trekker in terms of interiors, performance, advanced avionics and safety standards. We are looking forward to starting operations in support of the local community. "
