Leonardo broke ground on a new, larger regional helicopter customer service center on Friday in Itapevi, Brazil, 19 miles outside of São Paulo. The center will replace the existing facility there. Construction is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter. The new support center will include maintenance hangars, bonded warehouse, workshops, and a dedicated heliport and will house spares, maintenance, product support, engineering services for the AW119 single and AW109 light twin, along with the AW139, AW169, and AW189.

Leonardo said the new center demonstrates its “long-term commitment to the region and its customers and aligns with Leonardo’s Industrial Plan’s focus on stronger customer support services and proximity. Enhanced services will contribute to maximizing helicopter fleet mission effectiveness and safety of operations to the benefit of operators, crews and the served communities.”

To date, more than 190 Leonardo helicopters operate in Brazil, flying diverse missions including corporate/private transport, law enforcement, public services, offshore transport, and naval applications.