Leonardo is celebrating its 700th US-manufactured helicopter delivery. The AW119Kx single-engine helicopter was produced on Leonardo’s Philadelphia production line and delivered to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) in November.
Since it first began fully producing helicopters on an FAA-certified Part 21 Production Line in the US in 2004, Leonardo has produced aircraft locally for a variety of operational uses, including emergency medical services, homeland security, search and rescue, firefighting, offshore energy, utility missions and corporate transportation.
“With the 700th aircraft delivery, Leonardo continues to grow in the US market significantly,” said Clyde Woltman, Chief Executive Officer, Leonardo Helicopters US. “This milestone solidifies Leonardo as a domestic leader in the research, design, development and production of rotorcraft for civil and military applications, using the latest technology and highest quality standards.”
“The United States remains the world’s largest market for helicopters, and the constant expansion of our industrial and service capabilities in Philadelphia and other US locations over the years has provided evidence of our commitment to being an in-country reliable and leading partner of US operators, industry players and authorities,” said Gian Piero Cutillo, Managing Director, Leonardo Helicopters.
“While the achieved results speak for themselves, we are ready to do more, as testified by the continued flow of AW119/AW139 export and the start of production of the first batch of customer AW609s, the world’s first tiltrotor set to be civil certified,” added Gian Piero Cutillo.
Image: Leonardo
