Leonardo and Mukamalah Aviation enterprise (a fully owned subsidiary of Saudi Aramco) commemorated a significant accomplishment for the operator’s AW139 intermediate twin-engine helicopter fleet, achieving a milestone of 200,000 flight hours in operations. The event took place at the Paris Air Show today.
Mukamalah’s CEO, Khalid Alnatour stated: “As the premier corporate operator, Mukamalah is honored to be the first helicopter operator in the MENA region to reach this noteworthy milestone. This achievement would not have been attainable without our robust partnership with Leonardo Helicopters.”
“We extend our congratulations to our partner Mukamalah Aviation company for this remarkable operational achievement. This success has been made possible due to a unique combination of exceptional professional expertise and excellence in top-tier helicopter services at Mukamalah, alongside the unparalleled capabilities and technologies integrated into our AW139. We take pride in being part of their journey in delivering vital support to the energy sector and the national community, and we are dedicated to helping Mukamalah reach even greater operational milestones with their AW139s in the future,” expressed Gian Piero Cutillo, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters.
Among the largest operators of Leonardo helicopters in the Middle East, Mukamalah Aviation company has been utilizing AW139s since 2008 and AW109 light twins since 2006, primarily for offshore transport missions within Saudi Arabia, supporting the oil and gas industry. Currently, the Mukamalah AW139 fleet comprises 24 units, with an additional three AW139s scheduled for delivery this year. The AW139 boasts exceptional hot and high performance, ample cabin space, and advanced flight/navigation technology, making it perfectly aligned with Mukamalah’s effective, efficient, and safe operational requirements.
Recognized as the world’s most significant helicopter program since its certification in 2004 and the best-selling type in its category, the AW139 has garnered orders for over 1,300 units from more than 290 operators across almost 90 countries, fulfilling a variety of missions. To date, the global AW139 fleet has surpassed 3.7 million flight hours logged. This model features cutting-edge avionics with sophisticated navigation and collision avoidance systems to enhance situational awareness and alleviate pilots’ workload. It offers unmatched speed, power margins, and overall performance. The AW139 showcases the most spacious cabin in its category, providing high modularity for quick reconfiguration, a unique 60+ min run-dry capable main gearbox for improved reliability, and various certified kits.
