China’s CITIC Offshore Helicopter Company (COHC) has signed a contract for four AW139 medium twin-engine helicopters, which will be utilised in country for offshore Oil and Gas Production (OGP) operations. The deliveries will be completed by first half of 2023, expanding Leonardo fleet operated by COHC to 10 helicopters with 8 AW139s, one AW169 and one AW109 Power.
Founded in 1983 as the first professional helicopter operator in China right after the country’s opening up, COHC became the first listed General Aviation company on Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 2000 and is still the only Publicly Traded General Aviation Company in China. A prime helicopter operator in Asia, COHC operates more than 80 helicopters for a wide range of missions covering Offshore Transport, HEMS and Utility roles. COHC is also the exclusive helicopter operator for China’s Polar Exploratory Missions.
This order confirms Leonardo as the global leading player in the medium category and strengthens the company’s position in the Asia-Pacific region and in the OGP market segment. The contract signed follows the order of 2 AW189s by Beijing Police in November 2021, 6 AW189s by Rescue and Salvage Bureau of Ministry of Transport announced in March 2022 as well as the recent order of 1 AW139 and 1 Trekker by China’s Xiangjiang General Aviation Development Company. Leonardo has already delivered more than 40 AW139 helicopters to serve various Chinese operators, confirming itself as the leader in the OGP, EMS, VIP and Law Enforcement market in China.
The world’s most important helicopter programme since its certification in 2004 and the bestselling type in its category, the AW139 has logged orders for over 1250 units from more than 290 operators in over 80 countries to date for all missions. Featured with the latest Phase 8 avionics system, the AW139 delivers outstanding capabilities, technology and safety to meet stringent requirements from operators for tasks in harsh conditions to maximize effectiveness. The type features state-of-the-art avionics with advanced navigation and collision avoidance systems to enhance situational awareness and reduce pilots’ workload, unmatched speed, power margins and overall performance, the widest cabin in its category featuring high modularity for rapid reconfiguration, a unique 60+ min run-dry capable main gear box for enhanced reliability and safety and up to 1000 certified kits.
