Weststar Aviation Services Takes Initial Delivery of Its First AgustaWestland AW189 and Sets 50,000 Flight Hours’ Milestone with its AW139 Fleet

Press release

Farnborough, London, 16 July 2014: Weststar Aviation Services Sdn Bhd (WASSB), in another elaborate step to expand its current helicopter fleet takes initial delivery of its first AgustaWestland AW189 super medium helicopter today in its bid to yield further success in the domestic and global market segments of offshore transportation services.

The handover was celebrated during an official ceremony at the Farnborough International Airshow 2014, today witnessed by Malaysian High Commissioner to United Kingdom, His Excellency Dato’ Ahmad Rasidi Hazizi.

In part, initial delivery of the super medium helicopter is part of the four AW189 WASSB had ordered earlier at LIMA’13 Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition.

Hence, as the scale of WASSB’s investment increases, the Weststar Group of Companies’ subsidiary targets to become a force in the still-growing sector of offshore transport services.

In addition, the pronounced move to aggressively expand its helicopter fleet reiterates the company’s constant approach to gain more traction of both domestic and overseas’ markets.

Given its rapid pace growth over the last few years, the procurement is an assertion that as a whole outlines WASSB’s astute business strategy and boldness.

While the company continues to operate its business profitability, its CEO General Tan Sri Muhammad Ismail Jamaluddin (R) remarked, “With the AW189 we have just received, we are not just adding to our fleet a class-leading helicopter, but more importantly, we are buying and adding value to our current fleet with the dynamics and commonality in design across the AW139, AW169 and AW189 family of new generation helicopters we have in our stable. Furthermore, with this acquisition, we will be AgustaWestland’s first launching customer in Asia Pacific.”

He highlighted, “Hand in hand, our fleet growth is central to our expansion plan. We aim to become a big player in the field of offshore transportation services and with the addition of the AW189, this gives our fleet more depth as we adapt to anticipated changes in future demand.” In part of WASSB’s striking ascent, Muhammad Ismail stressed, “To cater to the industry’s burgeoning operational needs, we aim to expand our fleet up to 100 helicopters in the next 5 years. We strongly think that current conditions are ripe for more demand in the immediate future and we aim to make the most out of this window of opportunity.”

Objectively, apart from the company’s firm domestic stronghold, the addition of the AW189 helicopter will help the company consolidate and grow its overseas’ operation which currently consists of set-ups in Thailand, Morocco and Mauritania.

In addition, as WASSB gears up for international expansion, the company has dynamically earmarked the vibrant emerging markets of Asia and Africa, singling out Mozambique and Australia as viable potential in the near future for its expansion.

Further, with the concerted expansion effort the company is putting together, WASSB targets to secure another RM3 billion worth of contracts by year-end to add to the RM10b the company is currently servicing.

Hence, the projected trajectory this will bump up WASSB’s total amount of contract to RM13 billion in total.

Coinciding with the delivery of the two state-of-the-art medium helicopters, WASSB also celebrated another milestone in its AW139 fleet operation reaching 50,000 flight hours of performing offshore transport missions.

While the delivery of the first AW189 marks the entrance of the new type into the South- East Asian helicopter market, it makes WASSB the first operator that will benefit from the unique advantages of the helicopter family concept in the region.

In relation, with the initial delivery, WASSB will use its AW189 to perform long-range offshore transport missions in .

Having made its regional presence strongly felt, WASSB is currently the largest offshore helicopter transportation services provider for the oil and gas industry in the region. To date, WASSB’s clients include Petronas Carigali, ExxonMobil, Carigali Hess, CPOC, Talisman, Petrofac, SapuraKencana Energy, TOTAL, KPOC, Lundin, WesternGeco, Hess, Shell, Tullow Oil, Mubadala Petroleum, CGG Veritas, ConocoPhillips, INPEX Offshore, PTTEP, Galp Energia Tarfayabb, PC Mauritania and Kosmos Energy.

At present, with the huge infusion of investment parlayed over the years, WASSB’s fleet consists of Sikorsky and AgustaWestland helicopters used exclusively to provide offshore support services for multinational oil and gas companies.

For more information, please visit http://www.weststar-aviation.aero

Contact: Weststar Group of Companies Muhaini Mahmud Director, Corporate Affairs [email protected]

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Pix 1 & 2: Weststar Aviation Services’ CEO, General (R) Tan Sri Muhammad Ismail Jamaluddin and AgustaWestland CEO, Daniele Romiti signing the Acceptance Document witnessed by Malaysian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom H.E Dato' Ahmad Rasidi Hazizi at the Farnborough International Airshow 2014, United Kingdom. Picture 3

Weststar Aviation Services' CEO, General (R) Tan Sri Muhammad Ismail Jamaluddin was given a plaque by AgustaWestland's CEO, Daniele Romiti to celebrate the significant operational milestone of 50,000 flight hours achieved with its fleet of AW139 helicopters.