The Leonardo AW189 super-medium helicopter’s success in Northern Europe and in the energy market continues to grow with the addition of a further two newly built units to be operated by Norwegian company Lufttransport RW AS with deliveries expected in 2026 to deliver offshore transport services on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).

This contract will bring to nine the number of AW189s to be operated by Lufttransport, following contract awards earlier this year, respectively by Equinor to operate five aircraft and Vår Energi to fly two. An established AW139 operator, Lufttransport is now joining the large number of operators who have chosen and use the AW189 worldwide for modern, long range, high capacity and cost/effective missions supporting the energy industry.

Belonging to the AW Family of products, the AW189 (8.3/8.6 tonne) combines superior payload and range with advanced technologies to successfully operate a wide range of missions such as search and rescue, energy industry support, passenger transport, firefighting, and law enforcement. Unique features of the helicopter include the capability of the main transmission to run without oil for 50 minutes and a built-in auxiliary power unit. The AW189 is available with more than 200 certified kits and is also the only aircraft in its class featuring a Full Ice Protection System (or, alternatively, a Limited Ice Protection System) certified for use in Europe, US and Canada. The type is delivered with a comprehensive support and training service package tailored to meet specific customer requirements to maximise mission effectiveness and safety of operations. The type is also certified for an automatic data transmission system enabling the aircraft to transmit flight data to a ground station using satellite communication in flight, 4G cell connectivity or Wi-Fi when on the ground. It offers a secure way to share an accurate picture of each flight so that Leonardo experts can assess data quickly, thus optimizing maintenance and support.

Over 140 AW189s have been ordered by operators worldwide to date, with 90 of them already in service. More than 50 of these are used for offshore transport today. After around 10 years since its certification, the AW189 remains the world’s leader in the super-medium helicopter class by market size, number of operators, countries, and applications including offshore transport, search and rescue, firefighting/disaster relief, law enforcement and passenger transport. The AW189 is growing its presence in existing customers’ fleets as well as being selected by all new operators, particularly in the energy and public service markets.

Lufttransport was founded in 1955 and is one of Norway’s oldest aviation companies with a long and proud history in both aircraft and helicopter operations. Over the years, the company has operated ambulance aircraft, surveillance aircraft, ambulance helicopters, search and rescue helicopters, and scheduled helicopters. In addition to the group’s aircraft in Svalbard and helicopters on the mainland, Lufttransport operates its own maintenance organization. This organization services both the company’s aircraft, the Norwegian Armed Forces’ aircraft and UIT’s Arctic University of Norway’s training aircraft at Bardufoss. Lufttransport is also approved as a flight school. Lufttransport’s vision is “Sustainable Aviation” and the strategy is to deliver leading flight safety solutions.