New firefighting AW139s for Italy
The Italian National Fire Corps (Vigili del Fuoco) has placed an order with Leonardo for the supply of eight AW139 intermediate twin-engine helicopters
Delivery of the new aircraft will start by the end of next year, and be completed by mid-2026.
The AW139s will be configured for mountain rescue and aerial firefighting operations, and will join an existing fleet of 28 AW139s already in use by the agency.
The configuration will feature a range of mission-related equipment, including various optional kit for aerial firefighting.
The aircraft can be equipped with either a belly tank, a traditional Bambi Bucket, or a Bambi MAX Bucket, according to the specific requirements of the mission.
The AW139 has a cruise speed of 306km, with a range of 1,187km, and an endurance of 5hrs 38mins. The cabin can also carry up to 15 passengers in its standard interior configuration.
Global Medical Response recently placed orders for 43 helicopters from Airbus and Bell Textron.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.