AW139 new presidential helicopter for Colombia

The Fuerza Aérea Colombiana (FAC, Colombian Air Force) has selected the Leonardo AW139 helicopter as the new presidential helicopter. The AW139, the first of its kind to be used with the Colombian military, is a replacement for Bell 412EP FAC0006, which crashed on 25 October 2019.

The insurance policy of the Bell 412 will be made effective after the investigation in to the accident has been finished by the insurance company and the FAC. The value of the policy is such, that a new VIP-helicopter can be obtained. The AW139 will enter service by April 2021. The AW139 will be acquired from Colombian air transport Helistar S.A.S. which operates a small number of them since 2014. Helistar AW139s are equipped to transport up to 12 passengers in VIP configuration plus 2 crew members, with an autonomy of up to 5 hours, a digital Automatic Flight Control system (AFCS) with 4 axles, and shock energy absorption system and retractable landing gear as well as air conditioning.

The Colombian Air Force has a long history of operating mainly US-built helicopters, making the acquisition of the Leonardo AW139 for the air force rather unique. A US-built UH-60L Black Hawk, FAC0007 is also used for VIP-transport.