Leonardo has taken a further step forward to strengthen the level of quality services supporting helicopter operators in Brazil and Latin America with the operational readiness of its all-new Service and Logistics Centre headquartered in Itapevi, 30 km from São Paolo. This is the result of an R$60 million investment (approximately €9 million) – the new site is based on an 80,000 m² area, of which 6,000 m² comprises buildings and infrastructures and it can host up to 20 aircraft simultaneously. There will be the gradual addition of aircraft maintenance, training facilities and a range of industry capabilities such as painting and completion, and the new centre will allow for the expansion of service capacity by up to 50% compared to the previous dedicated site.
Five hundred Leonardo helicopters of various models used for a wide range of applications are in service throughout Latin America today, 190 of which are in Brazil and 120 of these aircraft are in the State of São Paolo. The new site is expected to host up to 370 aircraft every year to deliver its services, with the potential of further expansion. The missions that are carried out by Leonardo helicopters across the region include VIP/corporate and VVIP transport (over 220 units equal to nearly 25% of Leonardo’s global VIP helicopter fleet), offshore transport, rescue duties, law enforcement, fire-fighting and military roles. The most popular types include the AW119 single engine, the AW109 light twin legacy, the AW139 intermediate twin and, more recently, the AW169 light intermediate. The AW189 has introduced new capabilities into the region supporting the energy industry.
