AgustaWestland Raising AW139 MGW

AgustaWestland is working to certify an 882-lb (400-kg) increase in the max gross weight for its AW139 by the end of this year or early next. The medium twin's current certified MGW is 14,991 lb (6,800 kg). The move is aimed at enabling the AW139 to better compete with the Sikorsky Aircraft ZS-92 in long-range offshore transports and fend off competition from the EC175 Eurocopter is developing with China's AVIC 2. AgustaWestland plans to make the upgrade retrofittable to the existing fleet; it should not impact component TBOs, the manufacturer said, adding that it is working on minimizing the impact on maintenance, procedures and costs. More than 330 AW139s have now been sold, the manufacturer said, with over a third being for offshore transport operations. For related news