THC (The Helicopter Company) announces at HAI Heli-Expo 2023 that it plans to further expand its fleet of Leonardo AW139 intermediate twin-engine helicopters to reinforce search and rescue (SAR), emergency medical services (EMS) and corporate transport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The company is looking to engage in negotiations to procure an additional six units, adding to the existing fleet plus 20 options.

Airbus Helicopters partners with the Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation to develop CityAirbus NextGen’s future missions for medical services in Norway. To this end, the parties will jointly measure the added value of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for a selection of medical-services use cases across the country to integrate the operational requirements right into the configuration of Airbus’ eVTOL.

First Aviation Services Inc. brands its four helicopter component repair subsidiaries into the strategically unified Rotary Wing Group. Composed of Aviation Blade Services, Inc. (Kissimmee, FL); Heliblade International, LLC (Anderson, CA); Piedmont Propulsion Systems, LLC (Winston-Salem, NC); and Associated Aircraft Manufacturing and Sales, Inc. (Ft. Lauderdale, FL), the Rotary Wing Group repairs and overhauls main and tail rotor blades, various dynamic components, landing gear, and shock struts for various Airbus, Bell, Boeing, Leonardo and Sikorsky helicopters. In particular, all four Rotary Wing Group companies support the Black Hawk market.

PHI MRO Services, a division of PHI and provider in maintenance, repair and overhaul services, announces a special seminar on corrosion control to be held on Wed., March 7, at the 2023 Helicopter Association International (HAI) Heli-Expo. The seminar will take place in the Georgia World Congress Center, B314 Learning Room, from 11:45 am-12:45 pm. The event will provide attendees with the information needed to identify, treat and prevent corrosion. Tom Neumann, president of PHI MRO Services; Simon Williams; and members of the PHI MRO Services technical team will host the seminar.

Enstrom Helicopters enters a new era of growth and expansion as it welcomes Todd Tetzlaff back to the Enstrom family as incoming president.

Safran Helicopter Engines and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) sign a workshare agreement for the joint development of the engine intended for the future 13-ton IMRH (Indian Multi-Role Helicopter) and its naval version, DBMRH (Deck Based Multi-Role Helicopter).

Max Lyons, owner and CEO of Hillsboro Aviation, is honored at the 20th annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards event in Los Angeles. Lyons received the Elling Halvorson Vertical Flight Hall of Fame Award, which honors individuals who have had a major impact on the world of vertical flight.

Hartzell Engine Tech prepares to promote its firewall forward aircraft equipment at the Avalon 2023 Australian International Airshow, Feb. 28-March 5, in Geelong, Victoria. The Montgomery-based engine component manufacturer is a co-exhibitor at the Made in Alabama booth at Avalon Airport, sponsored by the state’s Department of Commerce.

With support from Safran Helicopter Engines, TotalEnergies, and Airbus Helicopters, France’s defense procurement agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement - DGA) carries out the first test flight of an Airbus NH90 in which one of its two RTM322 engines ran on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The fuel meets the aviation industry's objective of accelerating decarbonization without making any modifications to the aircraft, engine or logistics infrastructure (known as a drop-in fuel).

GPMS International, provider of the helicopter industry’s most advanced health and usage monitoring system (HUMS) known as Foresight MX, announces that it has received an FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) for the UH-60A Black Hawk platform. The company worked closely with PJ Helicopters during the STC process, who will become the first Black Hawk operator to utilize Foresight MX’s advanced capabilities.