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PIF-owned Helicopter Company buys up helicopters at California expo: The Helicopter Company (THC) — the Kingdom’s first commercial helicopter operator owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) — signed a number of agreements with global players for new helicopter orders as it looks to expand its fleet. The agreements were signed during the global helicopter exhibition Heli-Expo in California last week. No financial details on the agreements were disclosed.
THC signed a “historic” framework agreement with Airbus to purchase up to 120 helicopters of different models to be delivered over the next five to seven years, according to a statement from Airbus. The agreement sees an order for eight H125 helicopters to use in aerial work and tourism, along with 10 H145s converted from a previous contract into firm orders. The H145 fleet will be used for emergency medical services and corporate transport. This brings THC’s helicopter fleet from Airbus to 60, with 25 already in service, according to the statement.
And helicopters from the Italians: THC also placed an order for 20 AW139 intermediate twin-engine helicopters from Italy’s state-owned defense and aerospace Leonardo for use in emergency medical service and search and rescue operations, Leonardo said in a statement. Deliveries for the multi-mission helicopters are expected next year and 2026. They also announced a multi-year framework agreement for over 130 aircraft, with some orders made during the first half of this year and deliveries within five to seven years.
Upon deliveries of the AW139s, THC will be among top operators of the multi-mission helicopters globally with 50 choppers in its arsenal, according to the statement.
And that’s not all: The THC also signed a MoU with US-based Bristow Group subsidiary Bristow Arabia Aircraft & Maintenance Service to “work together on advanced air mobility (AAM) initiatives as well as other collaborative vertical lift endeavors,” according to a statement by Bristow Group.
About the helicopter operator: Launched in 2019, the THC was set up to provide private transport among cities and a range of missions, including emergency services, search and rescue and others. It aims to boost its fleet to 60 by 2025 after growing its fleet to 30 within three years of its establishment.
