Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

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Mark Huber

Leonardo Helicopters signed a deal yesterday to deliver 15 EMS-configured AW139s between 2019 and 2021 to the Sino-U.S. Intercontinental Investment Company of China. The agreement was announced during the China International Import Expo in Shanghai and is part of a wider delivery plan to provide 160 Leonardo helicopters across various models to Sino-U.S. between next year and 2023.

 


The AW139s will be operated by Kingwing General Aviation, and the order builds on existing contracts from Sino-U.S. in recent years for a variety of EMS-configured Leonardo helicopters including 34 AW119Kx singles, 25 AW109 Trekker light twins, and 24 AW139 medium twins. Leonardo claims sales of 185 helicopters to Chinese commercial and public customers and a 70 percent share of the EMS market there.

 


Leonardo CEO Alessandro Profumo said the deal reinforces the company’s “leading position in China,” which he characterized as a “fast-growing and highly competitive market.”&nbsp;Sino-U.S. is the exclusive distributor of Leonardo helicopters in China and the company affirmed its intention to establish a Leonardo-authorized training academy and completions center in China.

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

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News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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