New Rosneft deal for Leonardo-Finmeccanica’s helicopters

Italian helicopter company Leonardo-Finmeccanica, Russian Helicopters and Rusian oil giant, Rosneft, have signed an agreement for the future sale of additional twenty AgustaWestland AW 189 commercial helicopters to Rosneft subsidiary, RN-Aircraft.

Leonardo-Finmeccanica said on Friday that RN-Aircraft plans to buy more AgustaWestland AW189 helicopters for transportation purporses. The acquisition will follow the contract for ten aircraft signed in July 2015.

The Italian company said that the latest helicopters are part of the framework agreement signed in December 2014 with Rosneft agreeing to buy 160 units by 2025.

The agreements for over 150 units with options and other framework contracts with various customers makes the AW189 the best selling ‘super medium’ helicopter in the market, said Leonardo-Finmeccanica.

The deliveries of the AW189s is expected for 2018 with three to be assembled in Italy and the rest in HeliVert, a joint venture plant in Tomlino, near Moscow.

The company also added that the parties reached an agreement about the restructuring of HeliVert, a 50-50 JV with Russian Helicopters, which will now see Rosneft enter the JV with a 30 percent stake. The restructuring means that Leonardo Helicopters will have a 40 percent share and that Rosneft and Russian Helicopters will have a 30 percent stake each.