NYPD helicoptersNYPD AW119 fleet achieves 20,000 hour milestone

Published 5 July 2012

The NYPD has four AW119 helicopters in service; the department’s first AW119 entered service in 2004; the NYPD has become the worldwide law enforcement fleet leader, having achieved more than 20,000 flying hours on the fleet

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, said that the AW119 helicopter fleet operated by the New York Police Department (NYPD) is the worldwide law enforcement fleet leader, having achieved more than 20,000 flying hours on the fleet and more than 6,000 on their fleet leader.

The NYPD has four AW119 helicopters in service. The department’s first AW119 entered service in 2004.

In recognition of this achievement, Giovanni Cecchelli, vice president of customer support for AgustaWestland Philadelphia, said, “AgustaWestland is proud of our relationship with the New York Police Department. The customer support that AgustaWestland provides to the New York Police Department is critically important. AgustaWestland is honored to play its part in helping this customer maintain a high level of service to the citizens of New York.”

During the award presentation ceremony, a representative from the NYPD Aviation Unit remarked that “We are pleased to accept this recognition from AgustaWestland on achieving 20,000 flight hours on our four AW119s since their introduction to service in 2004.”

The company describes the AW119 as the best-in-class single engine helicopter. The helicopter is in many countries in both law enforcement and fire-fighting roles. The company notes that to date, more than 200 AW119 helicopters have been ordered in more than thirty countries by around 100 customers. In addition to law enforcement and fire fighting, the AW119Ke is used in a range of missions such as EMS, VIP/corporate transport, offshore transport, and military duties.