AgustaWestland AW189

The AgustaWestland AW189 is a twin-engined super-medium-lift helicopter in the eight tonne class, now manufactured by Leonardo. AgustaWestland announced its development on 20 June 2011 at the Paris International Air Show as a civil version of the military AW149, which was itself an enlarged development of the AW139, and it aimed to sell the aircraft for offshore support, search and rescue and passenger transport. At the time the company planned certification by 2013 and service in 2014. The first AW189 made its maiden flight on 21 December 2011 from the Cascina Costa facility in Italy, and six aircraft, four prototypes and two pre-production machines, were used in the flight test programme. The first production helicopter flew in October 2013, while a second production line was set up at the company's centre in Yeovil in the United Kingdom. The AW189 shares design similarities with the AW139 and the AW169.