Leonardo: the helicopter fleet in Bangladesh is growing

Leonardo continues to grow in the Bangladesh helicopter market with the announcement, during the Singapore Airshow, of the forthcoming entry into service with Bashundhara Airways of five helicopters, three of which are AW109 Trekker and two AW119Kx. The units will be used for utility transport, helicopter rescue, public order, surveillance and passenger transport tasks. With deliveries expected by the end of 2018, Leonardo is confirmed as the leader in the helicopter market with turbine engines with a share of over 30% in the Asian country.

Furthermore, Bashundhara Airways becomes the exclusive distributor of commercial helicopters produced by Leonardo, as well as a maintenance center, thus starting a fruitful collaboration in order to further strengthen the presence in Bangladesh. The agreement represents a further step forward for Leonardo in the global expansion of its customer service network, with the creation of maintenance centers close to the operators, guaranteeing an ever better quality of service.

Leonardo already has a consolidated presence in Bangladesh with important government customers operating with its helicopters, including for example the AW139 of the Italian Air Force and the Navy AW109M, as well as other defense and security systems.

Bashundhara Airways is part of the Bashundhara Group, one of the largest companies in Bangladesh. Led by CEO Safwan Sobhan, the company debuted at the end of 2016 with the goal of becoming the region's largest air service provider, focusing on safety and quality. Bashundhara Airways is partnering with the government to establish the first and only private heliport in the heart of Dhaka.

The AW119Kx is a single-engine helicopter equipped with a state-of-the-art avionics system capable of offering unparalleled safety and performance in its class. Nearly 300 AW119 helicopters have been ordered to date in nearly 40 countries by more than 120 customers. The AW109 Trekker is the most recent product in Leonardo's helicopter range and the first light twin-engine aircraft equipped with skids and with modern avionics. It can be easily configured for a wide range of roles and is the ideal solution for tasks such as helicopter rescue, utilities, search and rescue, public safety and passenger transport. Orders for over 40 AW109 Trekkers have been placed so far by customers in Europe, North America and Asia.

Leonardo is among the top ten companies in the world in Aerospace, Defense and Security and the leading Italian industrial company. Operational since January 2016 as one company organized in seven business divisions (Helicopters, Airplanes, Aerostructures, Avionics and Space Systems, Electronics for Terrestrial and Naval Defense, Defense Systems, Systems for Security and Information), Leonardo competes on the most important international markets by leveraging its areas of technological and product leadership. Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange (LDO), in the 2016 Leonardo recorded consolidated revenues of 12 billion euros and has a significant industrial presence in Italy, the United Kingdom, the USA and Poland.

Leonardo: the helicopter fleet in Bangladesh is growing

| Economics, Industry, PRP Channel |