Leonardo has received an order for three AW139 medium twin-engine helicopters by Monroe County in Florida, USA. These aircraft will be operated by Trauma Star, a joint effort of Monroe County Fire Rescue and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and will provide air ambulance support across the Florida Keys from Lower Keys Medical Center and the Florida Keys Marathon International Airport. These AW139s will be delivered from Leonardo’s FAA-certified Part 21 production facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, between the end of 2024 and early 2025, after which it will undergo dedicated mission customisation before replacing the County’s existing fleet.
“An extensive search for a replacement aircraft was made to update Trauma Star’s aging fleet of Sikorsky S76 aircraft with a newer, manufacturer-supported aircraft. The goal was an aircraft that would increase operating cost efficiency and reduce down-time due to unscheduled maintenance. The AW139 is the only aircraft available that will meet Trauma Star’s mission profile, able to fly the distance, carry our payloads and utilise our current landing zones” said Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay.
Monroe County is the southern-most county in Florida and the United States, and includes Key West, Marathon, Key Colony Beach, Layton and Islamorada. The County is spread across 3,737 square miles, 73% of which is water and includes large portions of the Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve.
The order further demonstrates the success of the AW139 as the aircraft of choice for EMS and SAR missions across the world in its category and its growing presence in the US also among public services operators. With nearly 400 aircraft covering civil, par public and military operators that carry out emergency and disaster relief operations worldwide, more than 900,000 flight hours have been logged to date by the AW139 rescue-configured fleet globally, out of a total of 3.7 million FH for all missions. For similar services in the US in a mix of law enforcement, EMS, disaster relief and firefighting on behalf of local administrations, the AW139 is already operating in Florida, New Jersey, Maryland and California.
