Saudi Arabia’s THC announces purchase of 43 Airbus and Leonardo helicopters

Saudi Arabia’s The Helicopter Company (THC) announced that it has signed contracts with Airbus and Leonardo for an initial order of 43 helicopters, with options for a further 20, on the first day of HAI Heli-Expo 2022, in Dallas, Texas.

The orders, which are part of plans to develop an air ambulance service in the kingdom over the next three years, include 20 Airbus H145s and six H160s; and 16 Leonardo AW139s and AW109 Trekkers. Options include potential orders of up to six more AW139s, 10 H145s and four H160s.

The first AW139s are expected to enter service from May, and the first H145 is due to be delivered in July. Subsequent fleet orders will arrive in batches of two over the next two years.

THC will also receive delivery of a H145 full flight simulator (FFS) and an AW139 phase 8 FFS from Leonardo and Airbus.

The existence of the contract with Airbus was previously confirmed in December 2021.

THC also purchased a 51-per-cent stake in helicopter distributor Rotortrade

The HEMS program, to be called Saudi Air Ambulance, is being developed in partnership with the Saudi Red Crescent, and will operate across 23 bases, covering 90 per cent of the population.

“We’ll be starting with 12/7 operations in the daytime, conducting inter-hospital transfers … and then to night time with night vision goggles (NVG),” explained Arnaud Martinez, THC’s chief executive officer.

THC also announced at Heli-Expo that it has purchased a 51-per-cent stake in global helicopter distributor Rotortrade. In addition to being a successful business in its own right, Rotortrade will manage the acquisition and entry into service of the 43 new aircraft and will also offer resale options for THC.