News Release

The GrandNew will be operated by Mountainflyers for heli taxi services from Bern Airport.

Centaurium Aviation Ltd. takes delivery of GrandNew helicopter in Switzerland

Leonardo announced today that Centaurium Aviation Ltd. of Switzerland has taken delivery of its AgustaWestland GrandNew light twin engine helicopter. The handover was celebrated during an official ceremony held at EBACE 2017 in Geneva.

This specially-configured aircraft anticipating safety enhancing requirement like ADS-B Out, will be operated by Mountainflyers for heli taxi services from Bern Airport. With this GrandNew, Mountainflyers will be able to serve a range of routes across Switzerland and Europe establishing Bern Airport’s first twin engine helicopter VIP transport service. This latest delivery brings the number of VIP helicopters of Leonardo in Switzerland to 20 and contributes to maintaining the company’s leading position in the global VIP market with a 50 percent share in the multiengine segment.

The class leading performance of the GrandNew in terms of speed and range, its large cabin with easy access, high safety standards and its modern avionics make the light-twin helicopter ideal for executive/private transport missions. The GrandNew features a top speed of over 300 km/h and a wide and versatile cabin able to accommodate up to six passengers. The state-of-the-art avionics includes an advanced autopilot, collision avoidance and systems to improve visibility at night or in the presence of smoke, smog and fog guaranteeing maximum flight safety and reducing the work load of the crew so they can focus on the mission.

About 370 helicopters of the Grand/GrandNew series have been ordered by nearly 230 customers in around 40 countries around the world for passenger transport, rescue tasks, law enforcement, offshore transport, electronic news gathering, maritime patrol and pollution monitoring.