Full Ice Protection System certified on AW189

Leonardo Helicopters AW189

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified the AW189’s Full Ice Protection System (FIPS) allowing the aircraft to operate in full icing conditions when other helicopters would be grounded.

The EASA certification comes after three years of flight trials in Northern Europe and North America, during the winter months, to gather data and test the effectiveness of the system which includes electrically heated main and tail rotor blades, heated windscreens and an ice detection system.

The FIPS is critical for operators flying in Northern Europe, Canada, Russia and the northern United States where icing conditions are common during the winter months. Almost 30 AW189s are today in service in demanding operational conditions in Europe, USA, Middle East and South East Asia.