By Frédéric Lert – © Leonardo
Last May 28, during EBACE exhibition in Geneva, Leonardo Helicopters took the wraps off the AW09, the latest addition to its Agusta-branded family of VIP helicopters. No doubt the Italian rotorcraft maker caught the interest of worldwide operators with its newest creation. Launched in 2021, Agusta is the brand through which Leonardo can summarize the key elements which make its offer in the VIP helicopter market highly recognizable: top class performance, design, technology, customization. «This is valid across the entire product portfolio ranging from the AW119Kx up to the AW189,» says Manuela Barbarossa, head of VIP and corporate marketing. «Since the Agusta Brand launch we sold more than 100 branded units which is a remarkable number considering the short limited time we are considering for a twin engine market.»
In a context of recovery in the helicopter civil market, Leonardo claims the world leadership in the VIP/Corporate segment, with a 45% share of the world’s multi-engine market over the last 10 years. «The AW109 continues to be strong in Europe and in the Americas, but we also see further demand for the AW169 in South America and, especially for the AW139 in North America, Asia and Europe,» says Manuela Barbarossa. No doubt the AW09 with its VIP special interior will help maintain this pole position.
Born ten years ago in Switzerland as the Marenco then Kopter SH09, the helicopter was originally designed as a utility workhorse. Leonardo Helicopters acquired the program in 2020, renaming it AW09. Since then, it has evolved in a high-end and versatile single engine rotorcraft.
Technically speaking, the AW09 features redundant systems, compliance with the latest safety requirements, a unique bird-strike resistance and a built-in connected solution. According to Leonardo, the helicopter’s architecture is pretty unique for a single engine, with a one-volume concept, rear access and unobstructed doors. The 5-blades main rotor provides very low vibrations and the shrouded tail rotor system provides a very low noise signature.
Manuela Barbarossa adds: «The AW09 is a perfect choice for private owners or business customers alike. Both will appreciate the roomy and comfortable cabin. On the other hand, charter operators will be able to benefit from the quick reconfiguration among the different seating layouts to better adapt to every request. The AW09 is attracting lots of interest within the rotorcraft community thanks to its distinguished features in cabin space, modularity and ergonomics, and external footprint, notwithstanding its smooth flight.»
Leonardo Helicopters foresees service entry for the AW09 in 2025 with the Agusta version available that year. Thanks to its flat floor, the AW09 has a very flexible cabin which allows customers to choose among several interiors. The Baseline and the Baseline Plus layouts offer, respectively, one or two cockpit passenger seats (on top of the pilot seat) plus four passenger seats in the main cabin, complemented by a very large rear cabin area, easily accessible through the clamshell doors.
Customers can also opt for the All Round layout, featuring a club configuration with 3 (aft facing) + 2 (front facing) seats, in addition to the pilot and cockpit passenger seat.
Finally, a high density All Space layout, with 8 forward facing passenger seats (plus pilot) is available to fully exploit the cabin space. All of the above layouts can be installed on the same floor, adding just the required rails and necessary seats.
The Premium Pack proposed for the Agusta interior features a dedicated paneling for the cabin ceiling, sidewalls and doors. It includes a rich offer of ambient and personal light and ventilation outlets, intercommunication system plugs (with active noise reduction as an option) for all the possible layouts, a cabin loudspeaker, USB charging ports and additional pockets when applicable. The paneling decoration, as well as the seating and carpeting, will be in line with the selected theme. Soundproofing will be available as an additional option.
«Personalization is a key demand which Leonardo aims to meet by offering more than 30 layouts,» adds Manuela. «Choosing interior colors and finishing materials is one of the most exciting parts of building a new helicopter, but it is also a laborious task to get to a cohesive design with products that complement each other. Agusta’s designers aim to guide customers through this process and we have developed an «Interior Moods» concept inspired by the cities of Florence, London and New York to help Customers think about the unique environment they want to create.»
Furthermore, Leonardo is developing specific equipment such as a high visibility package that includes fully transparent cockpit doors, additional windows on sliding door, on the rear clamshell door and on the fuselage, as well as additional boarding steps.
