Agusta has secured a L35 billion ($19 million) order from the Greek Government for five A109 Power helicopters. The twin-engined aircraft will be deployed by the National Centre for Emergency for emergency medical service (EMS) operations.

The Italian manufacturer has more than 130 orders for the Pratt & Whitney 206C-powered helicopter, which is becoming an increasingly popular addition to EMS fleets across the world, including orders from South Africa, Italy, Spain, France and the USA. Most recently, the A109 Power was selected by the UK's Automobile Association (AA) to complement its new air ambulance service. The aircraft is scheduled for delivery to the AA in the third quarter of the year.

Demand for the Power has driven Cascina Coasta-based Agusta to delay certification of its A119 Koala stablemate by up to a year. European approval is planned for July. In the interim, Agusta has made improvements to the $1.7 million seven-seat light helicopter, following customer feedback.

Although these details have not been disclosed, the manufacturer is known to be enlarging the total flight envelope and increasing the cruise speed by 10kt (18km/h). The Pratt & Whitney PT6B-37-powered helicopter offers a maximum cruise speed of 140kt and a range of more than 650km (350nm). More than 40 orders have been clocked up so far.

Source: Flight International