Finmeccanica – AgustaWestland announced yesterday that Falcon Aviation Services (FALCON) of Abu Dhabi has taken delivery of two AW189 super medium helicopters in offshore transport configuration.

The delivery marks the entrance in service in the UAE of the AW189 and took place yesterday with a ceremony at the presence of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa, held at Marina Mall Helipad. "It is a beginning of a new era for Falcon. With the modernisation of our helicopter fleet we set a higher standard for offshore operations in the region. Being the first operators of AW189 in the United Arab Emirates, our involvement in achieving the ever growing demand of safety, reliability and fuel efficiency within the MENA region will deepen," Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa , Chairman of Falcon Aviation Services said.

The order was signed in October 2014 and expands Falcon's fleet of AgustaWestland helicopters, which already includes light helicopters such as the Grand and GrandNew, and will shortly be joined by the new AW169.

The AW189 was designed in response to the growing market demand for a versatile, affordable, multirole medium twin engine helicopter. The new 8.3 tonne AW189 is optimised for offshore transport and SAR missions and has already received orders for 150 helicopters making it the outright market leader in its class. The AW189 is proving to be the helicopter of choice for the demanding operations in the Oil&Gas industry.

The spacious cabin is configured with 16 seats as standard with the option for a high density 19-seat layout. The cockpit design, incorporating the latest in advanced situational awareness technologies, reduces crew workload and enhances safety. The AW189 meets the very latest international regulatory safety requirements (EASA / FAA Part 29, JAR OPS 3 / EU-OPS) and is fully compliant with the latest requirements of the Oil&Gas Producers helicopter operations guidelines.

The AW189 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.

The AW189 is part of the AgustaWestland Family of new generation helicopters that includes the AW169 and AW139 models, which possess the same high performance flight characteristics and safety features as well as sharing a common cockpit layout, design philosophy and maintenance concept. This commonality will allow more effective operations for customers operating helicopter fleets across the 4 to 8.3 tonne weight categories.