LCI delivers third AW169 to Elitaliana

Less than a week after delivering an AW139 to China’s Shanghai Kingwing Aviation, Lease Corporation International has delivered a Leonardo AW169 to Italian operator Elitaliana.

This is the third and final AW169 delivery of a three aircraft order, with LCI having delivered the first AW169 in 2016 and the second in 2017. The third AW169 will be operating out of Elitaliana’s EMS bases in Rome and Lazio on EMS and search-and-rescue missions.

Crispin Maunder, executive chairman of LCI, says: “Elitaliana is a proven leader in helicopter operations in Italy, and we are delighted to be supporting their continued growth with the delivery of a third AW169 for their EMS fleet.

“This delivery to Elitaliana expands LCI’s presence in the Italian EMS market and reinforces our long-held strategy of developing a balanced and diverse portfolio, with the majority of our lease portfolio being concentrated on time-critical markets.”

Elitaliana offers a range of missions, including EMS, offshore transport, environmental monitoring, forest firefighting and search-and-rescue. It is also the oldest helicopter operator in Italy, having been founded in 1964.

Elitaliana’s Manfred de Windisch Graetz said: “We have enjoyed a close collaboration with LCI Helicopters over the past years as Elitaliana continues to refresh our EMS operations.

“LCI’s detailed product knowledge and customer attention has been of considerable benefit to us, and we look forward to further cooperation in the years to come.”