UAE’s national carrier, Etihad Airways, has announced an expansion of its service schedule for the summer season. The list includes the addition of two new destinations and an increase in weekly flights to five.

New routes, first. From June 15, 2024, Etihad will operate three seasonal weekly flights (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) between Abu Dhabi, UAE, and Antalya, Turkey. The outbound service – EY 0539 – will depart from Abu Dhabi at 09:20 and arrive in Antalya at 13:00. The return flight – EY 0540 – will leave the Turkish tarmac at 14:30 and touch down in UAE’s capital at 19:45.

The other new route goes live on June 16, 2024. That’s a direct service between Abu Dhabi and Jaipur, India. Etihad will operate four weekly flights (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays) to the capital city of Rajasthan state. Flight EY 0366 will depart from Abu Dhabi at 03:05 and land in Jaipur at 08:05. After nearly three hours, the return flight will leave Jaipur at 11:00 and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 13:00. All times mentioned for the new routes are local. An Airbus A320 will be operated for both services.

Etihad will operate three additional weekly flights to five destinations – Thiruvananthapuram, Amman, Cairo, Karachi and Colombo – from June 15, 2024. In the same order, their weekly flight count will increase to 10, 14, 24, 17 and 20. Earlier this year, the airline had announced a similar bump in weekly services to seven destinations across the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent.

Dubai-based carrier Emirates has announced that from May 1, 2024, it will restart daily flights to Cambodia’s capital – Phnom Penh. The service, with a stopover in Singapore, will use a Boeing 777-300ER in a three-class configuration. With space for 360 passengers, the aeroplane will boast 8 First Class private suites, 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 310 seats in Economy. And courtesy of this new service, Emirates SkyCargo will offer a freight capacity of over 300 tonnes per week.

The outbound flight – EK348 – will depart Dubai at 02:30 and land in Singapore at 14:05. After a halt of 1.5 hours, the aircraft will leave Singapore at 15:35 and arrive in Phnom Penh at 16:35. The return flight – EK349 – will leave the Cambodian tarmac at 20:50 and touch down in Singapore at 23:50. Then, at 01:40, the last leg starts and ends in Dubai at 04:55. All times mentioned above are as per the location.

Also Read: Emirates Flights To Bogota Start This June

Ontario-based Niagara Helicopters ordered six Airbus H130 choppers at the Heli-Expo 2024. The deal confirms a complete fleet renewal for the tourism company. It serves more than 100,000 customers from across the globe every year, providing a 9-minute, 27km sightseeing trip over the world-famous Niagara Falls.

The aircraft in question can seat up to seven passengers and a pilot while boasting an unobstructed cabin, large wrap-around windscreen and wide windows for good visibility. Besides sightseeing services, the single-engined helicopter is also used for charter operations and emergency medical services.

Niagara Helicopters’ COO, Denis Pilon, says:

After nearly 10 years of working with Airbus Helicopters, we are confident that the H130 continues to be the ideal aircraft for our operation. We are pleased to be working with the Airbus team again. We look forward to many more years of cooperation and collaboration.

Besides this deal, Airbus signed contracts with Bristow, HealthNet Aeromedical Services, THC and DRF Luftrettung during the Heli-Expo 2024.

At the Heli-Expo 2024, Airbus and Bristow Group signed a framework agreement for 15 H135 helicopters. The paperwork details that five of the total are part of the firm order, and the remaining ten are options. In October this year, the first chopper is expected to be delivered.

Bristow already has a fleet of 10 H135s and has operated the said type of chopper since 2006. The firm provides aviation services to various offshore energy companies and government entities. The company’s COO for Offshore Energy Services says:

The H135 has proven itself to be a very capable helicopter, both for missions offshore and overland.

Bristow recently inked a deal with Italian aviation firm Leonardo for up to 20 helicopters. On the other hand, Airbus has bagged contracts from THC, DRF Luftrettung and HealthNet Aeromedical Services at the Heli-Expo 2024.

Besides bagging an order from Bristow Group, Leonardo has also struck multiple agreements with Saudi Arabia’s The Helicopter Company (THC). At the Heli-Expo 2024, THC signed a contract for 20 Leonardo AW139 helicopters. Also, the duo inked a multiyear framework agreement for more than 130 choppers of various types.

Here are the specifics. The 20 AW139s, to be delivered between 2025 and 2026, will help strengthen THC’s emergency medical services and search and rescue operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). By the time the delivery is complete, KSA’s Public Investment Fund-backed THC will have almost 50 AW139s in its fleet.

The Framework Agreement, on the other hand, comprises units of Leonardo’s AW109s, AW169s and AW189s. All will be used for various services. Details about the first batch will be specified before H1 2024 ends. As for the deliveries, they should be completed anywhere between five to seven years. Besides inking these deals with Leonardo, THC signed an agreement with Airbus during the Heli-Expo 2024.

Italian firm Leonardo has inked a framework agreement with USA’s Bristow Group for up to 20 helicopters. The deal comprises a firm order for 10 AW189 choppers plus 10 options. This contract will support Bristow’s fleet expansion plan between 2025 and 2028. Bristow currently operates 21 AW189 helicopters worldwide, with another five due for delivery by the end of 2024.

Leonardo and Bristow have been doing business for over 28 years, with the latter purchasing various aircraft types, including the AW119 single engine, AW109 light twin, AW139 intermediate twin, and AW189 super medium. All put together, Bristow’s fleet of Leonardo choppers will shoot to nearly 110 units with the arrival of the additional 10 AW189s. In 2022, the duo entered a 10-year global service agreement for Bristow’s offshore fleet, covering the AW139 and AW189 units across the globe.

Besides inking deals with THC and DRF Luftrettung at the Heli-Expo 2024, Airbus has also bagged an order from Charleston-headquartered HealthNet Aeromedical Services. It is for four H135 helicopters, which will join the West Virginia-based company’s fleet of eleven Airbus-only aircraft comprising H130, H135 and EC145 choppers.

The H135 serves the emergency medical services sector well. Besides boasting a spacious and unobstructed cabin, the chopper has good range, payload capacity, low sound levels, oversized sliding side doors and rear clamshell doors.

HealthNet Aeromedical Services has operated only Airbus aircraft ever since the company came into existence approximately four decades ago. The Airbus H135 is a market leader in its category, with more than 700 specimens being used worldwide for life-saving missions. To date, Airbus has delivered over 1,500 choppers from the H135 family. 

Saudi Arabia’s The Helicopter Company (THC), a wholly-owned firm by the Public Investment Fund, and Airbus have signed a mammoth framework agreement at the HAI Heli-Expo 2024. It revolves around delivering up to 120 Airbus helicopters of various types over the next five to seven years. The paperwork also mentions a firm order for eight H125s and 10 H145s, with the latter part of the converted options from a previous deal. That bumps THC’s firm orderbook of Airbus choppers to 60, 25 of which are already in operation.

Where the H125s will bolster THC’s services in aerial work and tourism, the new fleet of H145s will strengthen the company’s Emergency Medical Services and corporate transport operations. In the Dakar Rally, both choppers mentioned above were deployed. THC began operations in 2019 and currently has 47 aircraft serving various sectors, with private charters on the list. Last year, the company also took delivery of its first ACH160 for Red Sea Global tourism services.

Also Read: Heli-Expo 2024: Airbus DRF Luftrettung Sign Deal For H145s

At the HAI Heli-Expo 2024, German helicopter emergency medical services operator DRF Luftrettung has ordered up to 10 Airbus H145s. While seven of the total are part of a firm order, the remaining three are optional. Moreover, the choppers purchased in this deal will be covered by DRF’s fleet-wide HCare Smart contract. That provides comprehensive parts-by-the-hour support.

DRF Luftrettung is not only among the largest but also the most experienced air rescue organisations across Europe. It and its subsidiaries operate over 50 Airbus H135 and H145 helicopters through 40 bases spread throughout Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Besides providing emergency rescue and intensive care transportation solutions, DRF Luftrettung also operates special missions, including hoist operations and day and night services.