Leonardo confirms order for three AW139s helis from Monroe County, Florida
Leonardo Helicopters has confirmed an order for three AW139s helicopters from Monroe County, Florida. To be operated by Trauma Star for air ambulance support, the aircraft will be delivered between late 2024 and early 2025.
Monroe County sheriff Rick Ramsay said the order followed a wide search to update Trauma Star’s ageing fleet of Sikorsky S76 aircraft with a newer, manufacturer-supported aircraft. “The goal was an aircraft that would increase operating cost efficiency and reduce downtime due to unscheduled maintenance,” said Ramsay. “The AW139 is the only aircraft available that will meet Trauma Star’s mission profile, able to fly the distance, carry our payloads and utilise our current landing zones.”
The AW139s will be deployed on air ambulance support missions across the Florida Keys from Lower Keys Medical Center and the Florida Keys Marathon International Airport. The three AW139s will be delivered from Leonardo’s production facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before customisation ahead of replacing the county’s existing fleet.
Clyde Woltman, CEO, Leonardo Helicopters US said: “We are honoured to begin our long-term partnership with Monroe County, and we are confident that the AW139 will provide Trauma Star with the capabilities they need to safely and effectively rescue and transport patients in Southern Florida.”
The helicopters join other AW139s deployed on a range of law enforcement, emergency response and firefighting across Florida, New Jersey, Maryland and California
“The order further demonstrates the success of the AW139 as the aircraft of choice for EMS [emergency medical services] and SAR [search and rescue] missions across the world in its category and its growing presence in USA also among public services operators,” according to the manufacturer.
Nearly 400 AW139 aircraft are deployed on emergency and disaster relief operations worldwide for civil, parapublic and military operators. The fleet has logged more than 900,000 flight hours.
