Gulf Helicopters (GHC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gulf International Services, has taken delivery of the first two AW189 super medium helicopters in offshore configuration.
This is part of the 15 AW189s on order and the delivery of the whole batch of aircraft is now scheduled to be completed by 2017, a spokesman of GIS said in a communiqué to the Qatar Stock Exchange.
GHC, already a major AW139 operator, becomes the first customer in the Middle East to introduce the AgustaWestland Family concept into operational service. It was also established as an AgustaWestland authorised training centre for the AW139 and AW189 in September 2013 and ordered the first AW189 Full Flight Simulator (FFS) in the region in February 2014.
“Our recent acceptance of delivery of our first two AW 189s is based not only on our marketing strategy for the future of the company’s expansion, but also on our customers’ requests for such a helicopter size,” GHC CEO Mohamed al-Mohannadi said.
These two deliveries are in line with GHC’s expansion plans and specially cater to contracting with international oil companies outside of Qatar, which is expected to increase the company’s revenue and profitability, the spokesman said.
GHC, being one of the largest helicopter operators in the Middle East, is also building on training capabilities in general and is also developing further as an AgustaWestland Training Center and a Regional Hub, in particular.
The AW189 was designed in response to growing market demand for a versatile, affordable, multirole super medium class helicopter. The new 8.3-tonne, twin engine helicopter is optimised for long range offshore transport and SAR (search and rescue) missions and has already received over 130 orders, including options and framework agreements, in more than 10 countries from 15 customers, making it the outright market leader in its class.
The spacious cabin is configured with 16 seats as standard with the option for a high density 18 seat lay out or a long range 12 seat configuration. The cockpit design, incorporating the latest in advanced situational awareness technologies, reduces crew workload and enhances safety.
The AW189, which meets the very latest international regulatory safety requirements, is unique in having a 50 minute ‘run-dry’ capable main gear box, exceeding current certification standards and offering unmatched safety and reliability for long range offshore operations.
