The AgustaWestland AW139 is a medium-weight multi-role utility
twin-turboshaft Transport Category helicopter in the 6-tonne class,
accommodating 12 to 15 passengers and 1 or 2 crew. The AW139 is an all
new designed conventional configuration helicopter with 5-bladed main
rotor, 4-bladed tail rotor and retractable undercarriage, with provision
for up to 15 passengers in a high-density layout. The AW139 has a 'glass
cockpit. Development of the aircraft started in 1998 as a new helicopter
in the six ton category. The aircraft was originally designed and
developed jointly by Agusta and Bell Helicopters and marketed as the
Agusta-Bell AB139, although Bell subsequently withdrew from the project.
PZL-Swidnik as a partner in the AW139 programme assisted in the design
of the central fuselage of the aircraft and manufactured the first
prototype airframe in April 2000. The AW139 is powered by a pair of
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67C turbine engines. The marketing was
officially started at the International Paris Airshow in June 1999. The
first prototype or pre-production AB139 ( 01 c/n 31001) made its maiden
flight at the Agusta Cascina Costa di Samarata plant in Italy, on 3
February 2001. The first production AB139 aircraft (c/n 31004) flew
first on 24 June 2002. The Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC)
certification was awarded on 18 June 2003 and US certification on 20
December 2004. In November 2005, Bell sold its stake in the AB139
programme to AgustaWestland and the helicopter is marketed since as
AgustaWestland AW139. On 9 July 2007, the EASA Type Certificate Data
Sheet for the Agusta AB139 was changed. As stated in the TDCS AW139 and
AB139 are two names for the same product. The first two production
aircraft had a triple screen display cockpit, but all following aircraft
have had a 4-display cockpit configuration as standard. In March 2004,
the AB139 entered customer service with Elilario Italia, that leased
AB139 c/n 31005 I-ROCS from Agusta Elicotteri. Next to the Agusta
Vergiate Production Line AW139 productionline, Agusta Aerospace
Corporation opened an assembly line in Philadelphia (PA), USA. The AW139
airframe is manufactured by PZL-Swidnik in Poland. The AB139 designation
is used for c/n 31001 up to c/n 31054, whereas the AW139 designation is
used from c/n 31055 onwards. c/n 31201 onwards is used for the AW139
Long Nose configuration. c/n 41001 onwards is used for the A.A.C.
Philadelphia Production Line. A 50-50 joint venture between AgustaWestland and Oboronprom,
a Russian investment group creates an AW139 assembly line near Moscow. Over
1100 AW139 helicopters have now been ordered by over 200 customers from more than 60
countries all over the world performing many tasks including
VIP/corporate transport, passenger shuttle services, offshore transport,
EMS/SAR, law enforcement, fire fighting and troop transport with civil
operators, government agencies. Over 760 have been delivered. In a bid
to capture a greater share of the long-range offshore transport market,
AgustaWestland has increased first the maximum MTOW to 6.800kg for the
latest models of the AW139, 400kg more than the earlier models. A further upgrade
is the increase of the maximum MTOW to 7.000kg. The AW139s with the increase of the maximum MTOW to 7.000kg
are the c/n 317.. series from the Italian productionline and the AW139s c/n 415.. series from the US productionline.
The ICAO Aircraft Type Designator with Wake Category used to classify aircraft types for the AW139 helicopters is A139
On 1 January 2016, the name AgustaWestland was dropped while Finmeccanica S.p.a., the parent company of AgustaWestland, changed to a one
company operation consolidating all its subsidiaries beneath one united name. From 28 April 2016, Finmeccanica S.p.a. changed its company name to Leonardo S.p.a.
Bel Air Aviation A/S is a Danish owned helicopter company established in 1994. Over the years, Bel Air Aviation operated a number of single and twin-engined
helicopters. From 2007 work was done to prepare Bel Air Aviation to
enter the offshore transport business and offshore operations started in June 2009 with the
leased AgustaWestland AW139 OY-HSN. Bel Air’s own AgustaWestland AW139 was registered OY-HJL with
Bel Air Aviation Invest A/S, Holsted, on 26 June 2009. In that period,
Bel Air was appointed as official AgustaWestland Service Centre for the
AW139 in Denmark. Since then the company expanded with next to its
mainbase at Holsted Heliport an offshore base at Esbjerg Airport. In
December 2011, Bel Air signed a contract for two new AgustaWestland
AW189 8-tonne class helicopters. In 2012, Bel Air management and board
chose to focus on two-engine helicopters and to phase out the single-engine helicopters.
The 2012-built AgustaWestland AW139 s/n 31411 was testflown with the
AgustaWestland test-registration I-EASY. On 30 March 2012, the AW139 was
registered OY-HML with Bel Air Aviation Invest A/S, Holsted, as owner.
AW139 OY-HML is financed by Danske Bank. On 3 April 2012, AgustaWestland
AW139 OY-HML arrived on delivery to Bel Air in Denmark. From 1 August
2012, AW139 OY-HML was operated on offshore flights out of Den Helder
Airport commissioned by DanCopter A/S. Bel Air Aviation uses
callsign Bluebel. On 15 September 2012, AgustaWestland AW139
OY-HML was seen during Heldair Show Maritiem at Den Helder Airport (EHKD/DHR).
Luchtvaart déjà vu
