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Leonardo expands presence in Latin America

Leonardo continued its growth in the private helicopter transport market with new contracts in Latin America announced during the LABACE 2023 exhibition. Gruppomodena S.A. has been appointed an official distributor of Leonardo helicopter types including the AW119Kx, AW109 legacy, AW169 and AW139 for the civil markets in Uruguay and Argentina.

Gruppomodena also signed a contract for two single-engine AW119Kx helicopters. The company is also an established operator of AW109 and AW139 helicopters for a range of roles including passenger transport, offshore transport, and rescue. It is also an authorized service centre for the reference market.

In addition, another private operator placed an order for one AW109 GrandNew light twin engine helicopter, which will be operated in Brazil. All of these light helicopters agreements will feature customized VIP interiors and will be used for private/corporate transport in the relevant locations.

Leonardo’s distributor for the AW09 single engine model in Brazil, Gualter Helicopters (Aero Service Representação), signed contracts for three aircraft for executive transport with three different end-users in the country. These latest achievements for the AW09 in Brazil come two months after the appointment of Gualter Helicopters, which had signed preliminary sales contracts for 20 units in March. The AW09 platform was acquired by Leonardo three years ago.

Leonardo claims to be the world leader in the twin-engine VIP/corporate helicopter market including private, charter and VVIP/Government transport services, with a 45 per cent market share over the last 10 years. More than 900 Leonardo VIP/corporate helicopters are flying today globally, approximately 25 per cent are based in Latin America.