Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

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Helicopter emergency services provider Avincis sent one of its Italy-based Leonardo AW139 helicopters to its MRO facility in Loures, Portugal, where it will undergo a two-year heavy inspection. This is the first time that Avincis selected the Loures MRO for such a large job.
Avincis operates 180 helicopters in Europe, and its global headquarters has been located in nearby Lisbon since 2023. Sending the AW139 to Loures is part of a plan to strengthen that facility’s MRO capabilities and provide more long-term job security to employees there. The Loures facility previously had worked on Avincis helicopters deployed in Portugal and Spain.
Ten people will conduct the two-year inspection on the AW139, which is expected to take about 10 weeks. The helicopter will then return to its base in Colico, Italy, next to Lake Como.
“The project strengthens the investment made in developing Lisbon into a center of excellence for maintenance and training,” said Avincis Group CEO John Boag. “Portugal is the right location for us, geographically and in terms of available talent in the labor market. Mobilizing aircraft between the countries in which Avincis has operations is not only a rational decision to make efficiency gains where they exist but also a demonstration of the size, capacity, and resources of the company as a group, factors that distinguish us from other operators in the different markets.”

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Avincis Strengthens Portugal Helicopter Maintenance Base

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Ten people will conduct the two-year inspection on the AW139, which is expected to take about 10 weeks. The helicopter will then return to its base in Italy. 

Avincis Strengthens Portugal Helicopter MRO Base

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In this article

Leonardo AW139

Leonardo

AgustaWestland

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