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Foto: Airwolfhound · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Leonardo Helicopters

Leonardo AW189

A189
Heavy Turbine Helicopter✓ in production2014 present
Range
563 NM · 1,043 km
MTOW
8,600 kg
Cruise
159 kt · 294 km/h
Seats
19
up to 19 passengers
New price
US$ 17.5M
Catalog reference, no research date

The Leonardo AW189 is a heavy turbine helicopter in production since 2014. Price: a new Leonardo AW189 starts at US$ 17.5M; used, the market median is around US$ 11.0M. Median from Jet Tracker's price research as of 06/2026. It has a range of 563 nm, a cruise speed of 159 kt (294 km/h), up to 19 passengers. In Brazil there are 14 active units in the RAB-ANAC, excluding cancelled registrations. There are 5 aircraft from this family for sale today, across 5 listings on the portals Jet Tracker tracks (global market, not Brazil only).

Source: RAB-ANAC (data as of 11/12/2026) and Jet Tracker catalog (spec sheet reviewed on 11/6/2026).

Acquisition price · pre-owned market
limited data5 active listings (global)Jet Tracker curation · 6 sources · 6/4/2026
US$ 11.0MR$ 61.7M
market medianaging ≈ −6.9%/yr+80% vs Heavy Turbine Helicopter median
Entry
US$ 8.5M
model year 2015
Best value
US$ 11.0M
model year 2018
Top of range
US$ 14.0M
model year 2022
Used vs new
−37%
catalog US$ 17.5M
Minimum
US$ 8.0M
R$ 44.9M
Median
US$ 11.0M
R$ 61.7M
Maximum
US$ 17.0M
R$ 95.3M
New · catalog referencein productionUS$ 17.5M · R$ 98.1M
Depreciation curve by year of manufacture
CAGR +7.4%/yr·2015→2022
Market median by vintage (USD). Light-blue band = min/max range observed across real listings. Points without reliable public listings (n ≤ 1) use Bluebook/curve interpolation and are flagged as lower confidence.
3 of 3 points with reduced confidence (n ≤ 1 listing observed). The estimate for these years comes from Aircraft Bluebook / market-curve interpolation, not from direct listings.
Landed in Brazil

Index ≈ ×1.08 to ×1.33 on the aircraft value, already with ferry, ANAC nationalization, IPI and ICMS.

Through a qualified importer
US$ 8.6M – 19.2M
R$ 48.5M – 107.7M · Agreement 75/91 · IPI + ICMS ~7 to 12%
Direct import
US$ 10.0M – 22.6M
R$ 56.1M – 126.6M · IPI + full ICMS ~25 to 32%

Market estimate: value + ferry + ANAC nationalization + taxes, no legal review. II, PIS and COFINS are 0% for aircraft (NCM 88.02); IPI is 6.5% (3.25% for air taxi) until Dec 31, 2026; ~4% ICMS only through a qualified importer (Agreement 75/91).

Cost per flight hour
Operate · owned
US$ 4.0K/h
R$ 22.5K/h · Variable/h
Fixed/yr
US$ 733.0K
Total/h @ 200 hrs/yr
US$ 7.7K/h
Charter · 🌎 World
US$ 5.0K – 8.0K/h
R$ 28.0K – 44.9K/h
Charter · 🇧🇷 Brazil
US$ 6.0K – 9.0K/h
R$ 33.6K – 50.5K/h

Operate = direct cost/hour (fuel + maintenance + engine); excludes fixed costs (hangar, crew, insurance). World: hourly rate published by charter operators. Brazil: charter is quoted per leg, so the hourly figure is an estimate from route quotes.

How we read this price · 6 sources · researched 6/4/2026

Median and price range for pre-owned aircraft, compiled by Jet Tracker from asking prices in listings and the price guides in the sources below, checked on 6/4/2026. None of the 3 model years has an observed listing. The rest are estimates from the market curve between model years and are flagged in the chart.

PTAX · R$ 5.6075 / US$ · 11/12/2026

Market estimates for guidance only, not a firm quote. Confirm the value with a broker/appraiser before any transaction.

Temporal identity

First flight
Dec 21, 2011
FAA cert.
—
ANAC cert.
—
Deliveries start
Jul 21, 2014
Units produced
—

The AW189 is the heavy turbine helicopter from Leonardo Helicopters, in production since 2014 and used in offshore transport, search and rescue and executive transport. The published specifications indicate a range of 563 nm, a cruise speed of 159 kt, a ceiling of 15,500 ft and a maximum takeoff weight of 8,600 kg, with 16 passengers in the typical configuration and up to 19 seats. This page has the spec sheet, the estimated cost per flight hour and the fleet registered in Brazil, with operators and registrations.

Detailed specs

Performance

Engines
2x General Electric CT7-2E1 turboshafts with dual-channel FADEC
Engine type
Twin-turbine 2,000 shp each
Max speed
167 kt
Empty weight
4,900 kg
Endurance
5 h
Fuel
2,300 L
Fuel
607.6 gal
Main rotor blades
5
Rate of climb
1,500 ft/min
Service ceiling
19,000 ft
Hover ceiling (IGE)
9,700 ft
Hover ceiling (OGE)
7,000 ft
Main rotor diameter
14.6 m

Cabin and comfort

Doors
2 front doors + rear sliding doors + rear clamshell
Seats
19
Optional air conditioning
Yes
Configuration
19 offshore seats (1+1+17) or 12 PAX VIP corporate in executive seats
Typical configuration
Vip 8
Useful load
3,700 kg
Noise attenuation
Quiet cabin, 5-blade soft-in-plane rotor reduces vibration 30% vs. AW139
Baggage compartment
90 cu ft

Avionics and engines

FMS
Honeywell Primus Epic FMS dual
Cockpit
Honeywell Primus Epic Phase 8 glass cockpit (4 displays)
Autopilot
Honeywell 4-axis with SAS, auto-hover, auto-recovery, auto-deck-coupled landing (offshore)
Flight deck
Honeywell Primus Epic
Transponder
Honeywell TPA-100 with ADS-B Out/In
IFR certified
IFR dual-pilot certified from the factory + Cat A operations + auto-deck-coupled offshore
Weather radar
Honeywell Primus 700/RDR-7000
Synthetic vision
Yes

Operating costs

Data source
FlightGlobal (2017), Leonardo Helicopters cuts fuel-burn figure for AW189 (~440 kg/h ≈ 145 gph @ 80% torque) · Conklin & de Decker, Leonardo Helicopters AW189 operating costs & specs · Aircraft Cost Calculator / Conklin & de Decker, Leonardo AW139 super-medium twin (class anchor, ~$5,306/h @300h) · GE Aerospace, CT7-2E1 MCPH / TrueChoice engine program (AW189 service agreements, 500k+ fleet flight hours) · Lobo Leasing, Leonardo AW189 helicopter file (list ~$17M; Leonardo FCP airframe support; Safran APU PBH) · Wikipedia / Leonardo, AW189 specs (2× GE CT7-2E1, MTOW 8,300 kg, 19 pax, cruise 144–150 kt, APU with 12-yr TBO)
Fuel burn
150 gal/h
Last updated
2026
Rotor overhaul interval
5,000 h
Market price (low)
US$ 14,000,000
Engine overhaul interval
5,000 h
Market price (high)
US$ 22,000,000

External dimensions

Overall length
17.57 m
Wingspan
14.6 m
Height
5.07 m

Weights & fuel

Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW)
8,600 kg
Fuel capacity
2,300 L
Fuel capacity
4,117 lb

Cabin

Standard configuration
1 zone16 typical passengers · 19 maxVIP 8 seats

Typical factory configuration (curated data). The drawing below is schematic and at approximate scale; the actual layout varies by interior and year.

— × 2.43 m
Schematic floorplan (approximate scale)
Length
—
Width
2.43 m
Height
—
Volume
—
Baggage
—

History

  1. 2011First flight
  2. 2014 - Launched in 2014 as an evolution of the AW139 for long-range offshore

    AgustaWestland (later Leonardo Helicopters in 2017) certified the AW189 in February 2014, a clean-sheet design positioned as the natural evolution of the AW139 for long-range offshore missions. The AW139 reached an MTOW of 7,000 kg (EASA Performance Class 1 limit with 12 PAX); offshore operators needed superior capacity to reach distant platforms (200+ nm). The AW189 delivers an MTOW of 8,600 kg and 19 PAX. Production plants in Vergiate (Italy) and Yeovil (United Kingdom, ex-Westland). More than 100 units produced.

    Leonardo Helicopters
  3. 2014First deliveries

Brazil Fleet

16 registrations in the RAB (all statuses)

Full analysis: listing, mark reservations, charts and change log in the ANAC Monitor.

Open Analytics

Lineage

Model with no documented lineage in the manufacturer's line.

Curiosities and highlights

Benefits

Direct competitor of the Sikorsky S-92 and H225 in offshore

The AW189 competes in the offshore market for Petrobras, the North Sea (Bristow, CHC, Babcock), Gulf of Mexico and North Sea with the Sikorsky S-92 and Airbus H225. Decisive characteristics: 19 PAX (vs. 19 for the S-92, 19 for the H225), speed 156 KTAS (vs. 145 for the S-92, 142 for the H225), range 471 nm (vs. 539 for the S-92), competitive hot/high. The AW189 won significant contracts in Brazilian offshore post-2014 (Petrobras tier 2/3) and the North Sea, especially after H225 gearbox problems that limited its market.

Auto-deck-coupled landing, advanced offshore automation

The AW189 offers an auto-deck-coupled landing system: the autopilot identifies the offshore platform, aligns the helicopter with the wind and platform movement, performs an automated hover and completes the landing with minimal pilot intervention. Critical technology in adverse conditions (rough sea, marginal weather, unstable platforms). The only helicopter certified for automated deck-coupled approach in 2024, a differentiator over the S-92 and H225. Reduces pilot workload by 50%+ on night IFR offshore missions.

5,000-hour TBO, highest in the super-medium category

The AW189's General Electric CT7-2E1 engine has a TBO of 5,000 hours, the highest in the super-medium category (S-92 GE CT7-8A4: 4,000h, H225 Makila 2A1: 4,000h). Combined with a 5,000-hour main gearbox + 5,000-hour rotor, the AW189 has direct maintenance costs 15-20% lower. For offshore operators who fly 1,500-2,000 hours/aircraft/year, superior TBO translates into USD 1-2M in savings over a 10-year cycle. Decisive competitive ROI.

Limitations

Hot/high inferior to the H225, OGE hover 7,000 ft vs. 9,500 ft

The AW189 has an OGE hover of 7,000 ft at full MTOW, hot/high performance inferior to the Airbus H225 (9,500 ft) and similar to the S-92 (7,000 ft). For offshore operations at high altitudes (Peruvian Andes, Caspian Sea in summer) the H225 has the advantage. In Brazilian offshore/North Sea/Gulf (low altitude) the AW189 has no practical disadvantage. The AW189 also has a range of 471 nm (vs. 539 for the S-92), placing second in some long-range missions.

Curiosities

Líder Aviação operates the AW189 in Petrobras offshore

In Brazil, Líder Aviação acquired an AW189 fleet in 2017-2019 for Petrobras offshore contracts post Rota 3 (entry of new super-mediums into the market). The active Brazilian AW189 fleet in 2024 is ~10 units, operating in the Santos Basin, Campos Basin and Espírito Santo Basin. Competitors Helibras (H225M) and Bristow Brasil (S-92) also operate on the same contracts. The AW189 came to Brazil to diversify the fleet, generating demand for Leonardo-specialized training and MRO.

Líder Aviação

Leonardo AW189 for sale now

Listed aircraft with a page on Jet Tracker, from the lowest asking price up. Asking is not the closing price; portals and the reading date are on each page.

Registrations in Brazil

1 operational aircraft owned by companies in the ANAC registry (RAB). Each opens the profile with owner, operator, status and history.

PS-BTY

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Leonardo AW189 cost?

The catalog reference for a new Leonardo AW189 is US$ 17.5M, without a verified factory list price. On the used market the value varies with year and flight hours; see real listings on this model's Market tab.

What is the range of the Leonardo AW189?

The maximum range is 563 nm (563 NM · 1,043 km).

How fast is the Leonardo AW189?

Cruise speed is 159 kt, equivalent to 294 km/h.

How many passengers does the Leonardo AW189 seat?

The Leonardo AW189 seats up to 19 passengers, crew not included.

How many Leonardo AW189 are there in Brazil?

There are 14 active units in the RAB-ANAC (data as of 11/12/2026): operational, mark reservation or suspended, excluding cancelled registrations.

Who operates the Leonardo AW189 in Brazil?

2 distinct operators operate 8 units of the Leonardo AW189 in the RAB-ANAC: 8 in air taxi (RBAC 135), concentrated in RJ (data as of 11/12/2026). Another 6 units are under registration reservation (tail number reserved, not yet operating). Name, fleet and state of each operator are on this model's Analytics tab and in the operators directory.

How much does it cost to operate the Leonardo AW189 per hour?

Jet Tracker estimate: about US$ 7,681 per flight hour at 200 h/year, of which US$ 4,016 per hour is variable cost (fuel, engine program, maintenance reserves) plus US$ 733,000 per year of fixed cost (crew, hangar, insurance), under Jet Tracker's default assumptions (Southeast Brazil, in-house crew, 200 h/year). Run your own scenario on this model's Costs tab.