This year’s three-day Helitech show, which concludes today at the Excel exhibition center in London’s Docklands, saw 200 exhibitors and a raft of industry announcements. The show also had a temporary heliport and indoor static area. On the first day of the event, Safran launched the Aneto engine line for super-medium and heavy helicopter market, with the Leonardo AW189K named as the first application.

Leonardo signed a contract with Uni-Fly A/S of Denmark for two AgustaWestland AW169s, and announced the sale of another two AW139s to customers in the UK for corporate/VIP passenger transport, including Starspeed (part of Luxaviation Helicopters). In the static display area, Leonardo had a AW169 equipped for emergency medical services. Bell Helicopter said it had signed purchase agreement for a Bell 429 to Air Zermatt for search-and-rescue missions. Airbus Helicopters officially handed over the first H145 for Midlands Air Ambulance and in the static display it had a mockup of its new H160, which is currently in development with three test aircraft based near Marseille. The company also revealed that its Rig’N Fly automatic oil platform approach mode for the H175 had received EASA certification. It had already been certified for the H225.

Waypoint Leasing announced that its fleet has surpassed 150 aircraft in 30 counties with 32 customers. The Airbus H225 that Waypoint leases to Global Helicopters Services was on display at the temporary helipad. Waypoint also has a new leasing platform in China (in Tianjin and soon Hong Kong also) and has placed two aircraft with customers in China thus far this year, notably a Waypoint new delivery H135 to Shanghai Skyway General Aviation Co. 

Airtelis said at the show that it had ordered three Airbus H215s for power line construction and maintenance missions, with financial support from Nova Capital. The first aircraft is due to be delivered this month. These aircraft will complement Airtelis’ existing fleet of two H225s.