Leonardo and FlightSafety International have announced the planned co-development and establishment of the first AW189 Full-Flight Simulator in the Americas. This partnership includes the development of a Level D FFS, which will replicate the AW189 advanced avionics and flight systems at the highest possible standard, enabling realistic offshore and search-and-rescue mission training.

Additionally, the companies are developing a training collaboration to include comprehensive AW189 initial, recurrent, and specialty courses for pilots at FSI’s Lafayette Learning Center in Louisiana, strategically positioned to support operators throughout the Americas. The simulator entry-into-service date will be announced at a later time.

This latest move in the supply of advanced training solutions for the world’s most successful super-medium helicopter follows other initiatives, aimed at guaranteeing increased customer proximity on a global scale as the AW189’s market presence grows stronger at fast pace, not just in North and Latin America but also in Northern Europe and Asia.

Leonardo and FSI have an established collaboration in the training field, starting several years ago with the world class AW139 intermediate twin engine helicopter. This planned partnership for the first AW189 FFS in the Americas builds on the Memorandum of Understanding announced in 2024, aimed at evaluating a range of potential collaborations in the field of training and simulation in the United States.