Dublin, Ireland, July 2, 2019 — The Milestone Aviation Group Limited (“Milestone”), today announced the acquisition of an incremental Sikorsky S-92A aircraft, MSN 920155, bringing their total S-92A fleet to 79 units. As the largest owner of the S-92A globally, the purchase illustrates Milestone’s ongoing commitment to the type, which is the primary aircraft servicing the offshore oil and gas industry as well as serving search & rescue and executive transport.

Referring to the recent acquisition, Pat Sheedy, Managing Director of Portfolio and Underwriting at Milestone, stated that “The S-92A is the cornerstone of our Oil and Gas portfolio and, given the size and scale of our fleet, we believe we are uniquely positioned to manage these assets and provide optimal fleet & support solutions for our customers and the overall industry. We continue to look to expand our S-92A portfolio where we see attractive opportunities in the secondary market.”

Milestone’s owned and debt-financed fleet of S-92A helicopters accounts for more than thirty percent of all S-92A aircraft in operation globally. Having been referred to by the FAA certification board as the “safest helicopter in the world,” and operating more than 1.5 million fleet flight hours, the twin-engine medium-lift helicopter offers strong economics, reliability, capacity and safety required for a range of operators’ missions. 

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About Milestone

Milestone Aviation Group, a GE Capital Aviation Services company, is the world’s leading helicopter leasing and financing company. Milestone has a fleet of helicopters worth over US $5 billion plus a loan portfolio and debt commitments of approximately $400 million. Milestone partners with helicopter operators worldwide, providing a wide array of financial and productivity solutions, including operating leases, purchase/leasebacks, secured debt financing, engine leasing and fleet advisory. The company supports 48 customers in more than 30 countries serving a variety of industries, including offshore oil and gas, search and rescue, emergency medical services, police surveillance, mining and other utility missions. www.milestoneaviation.com

About GECAS

GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) is a world-leading aviation lessor and financier. For over five decades, we have solved our customers’ challenges and helped their businesses to thrive. Whether your need is for narrow- or widebody aircraft, regional jets, turboprops, freighters, engines, helicopters, financing or materials, our name has become synonymous with trusted relationships, domain expertise and delivering on our promises.

GECAS offers a broad array of financing products and services on these assets including operating leases, purchase/leasebacks, secured debt financing, asset sales and servicing, and airframe parts management. GECAS owns, services or has on order more than 1,850 (~1,500 fixed wing/ ~350 rotary wing), plus provides loans collateralized on an additional ~320 aircraft. GECAS serves ~250 customers in over 75 countries from a network of 21 offices around the world. www.gecas.com

Media contact: James Luton | media@gecas.com

Dublin, Ireland, October 15, 2018 – Milestone Aviation Group Limited (“Milestone”), a GECAS company and the global leader in helicopter leasing, today announced the appointment of Greg Conlon as President and CEO effective Nov 1, 2018. He succeeds Daniel Rosenthal, Co-founder, President and CEO Milestone Aviation and GECAS Executive Vice President of Financing and Products, who has decided to pursue external opportunities. Greg will continue to be responsible for GECAS’ Aircraft Trading function and will relocate to Dublin to lead Milestone.

Greg joined GECAS in 1999 when the company acquired PK AirFinance. In 2005 he transitioned to the GECAS commercial aircraft leasing business with responsibility for customer relationships in Canada, the Caribbean, Iceland, and Greenland. In 2011, he was promoted to SVP Sales & Marketing for the US Region and in 2016 he became Executive Vice President Aircraft Trading for all of GECAS. Prior to GECAS, Greg gained invaluable experience from Boeing Capital Corporation and McDonnell Douglas Finance. He earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Ohio State University.

“I want to thank Dan for his leadership and commitment. He and his team have been doing an admirable job of managing the Milestone business through a significant downturn in the industry,” said Alec Burger, President and CEO GECAS. “I will personally miss his positive attitude and relentless energy.

“Greg is well positioned to take on this expanded role and look forward to seeing Milestone Aviation continue to innovate in the sector of helicopter finance under his leadership.”  

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About Milestone

Milestone Aviation Group, a GE Capital Aviation Services company, is the world’s leading helicopter leasing and financing company. Milestone has a fleet of helicopters worth over US $4.7 billion plus a loan portfolio and debt commitments of approximately $400 million. The company has a forward order book of firm and option aircraft with an estimated aggregate purchase price in excess of US $3 billion. Milestone partners with helicopter operators worldwide, providing a wide array of financial and productivity solutions, including operating leases, purchase/leasebacks, secured debt financing, engine leasing and fleet advisory. The company supports over 37 customers in more than 30 countries serving a variety of industries, including offshore oil and gas, search and rescue, emergency medical services, police surveillance, mining and other utility missions. www.milestoneaviation.com

About GECAS

GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) is a world leader in aviation leasing and financing. With 50 years of aviation finance experience, GECAS offers a wide range of aircraft types including narrow-bodies, wide-bodies, regional jets, turboprops, freighters and helicopters, plus multiple financing products and services including operating leases, purchase/leasebacks, secured debt financing, capital markets, engine leasing, and airframe parts management. GECAS owns or services a fleet of more than 1,900 aircraft (1,552 fixed wing/ 350 rotary wing) in operation or on order, plus provides loans collateralized on an additional ~320 aircraft. GECAS serves ~250 customers in over 75 countries from a network of 25 offices. www.gecas.com

Media contact: James Luton | +1 203 842 5887 |  james.luton@gecas.com

Dublin, Ireland, May 31, 2018– Milestone Aviation Group Limited (“Milestone”), a GE Capital Aviation Services company and the global leader in helicopter leasing, announced today that it has completed the purchase and lease back of four S-92® aircraft. The acquisition of these aircraft expands Milestone’s owned and debt financed fleet of S-92 helicopters to over 95 — more than one third of all S-92 aircraft in operation globally.

Ideally suited for a variety of missions, including offshore oil & gas transportation as well as search and rescue, S-92 helicopters have provided more than 1.3 million reliable flight hours with operators around the world.

“With their continued commitment to the platform, driving both availability and affordability, Sikorsky has demonstrated a focus on keeping these aircraft competitive,” said Daniel Rosenthal, Milestone President and CEO, noting “Milestone takes pride in our partnership with Sikorsky and our ability to place these aircraft in operation while securing our fleet’s future marketability.”

“As the largest owner of S-92’s in the world, Milestone’s commitment to the type is second to none,” said Sikorsky’s Vice President, Commercial Systems & Services, Dana Fiatarone. “We value our collaboration with Milestone, and Sikorsky is committed to future enhancements and continued support to ensure the S-92 remains the offshore commercial helicopter of choice for operators.”

 

Notes to Editors:

About Milestone Aviation Group

Milestone Aviation Group, a GE Capital Aviation Services company, is the world’s leading helicopter leasing and financing company. Milestone has a fleet of helicopters worth over US $4.0 billion plus a loan portfolio and debt commitments of approximately $400 million. The company has a forward order book of firm and option aircraft with an estimated aggregate purchase price in excess of US $3 billion. Milestone partners with helicopter operators worldwide, providing a wide array of financial and productivity solutions, including operating leases, purchase/leasebacks, secured debt financing, engine leasing and fleet advisory. The company supports over 37 customers in more than 30 countries serving a variety of industries, including offshore oil and gas, search and rescue, emergency medical services, police surveillance, mining and other utility missions. www.milestoneaviation.com

About GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS)

GECAS is a world leader in aviation leasing and financing.  With 50 years of aviation finance experience, GECAS offers a wide range of aircraft types including narrow-bodies, wide-bodies, regional jets, turboprops, freighters and helicopters, plus multiple financing products and services including operating leases, purchase/leasebacks, secured debt financing, aircraft trading, engine leasing and airframe parts management.  GECAS owns or services a fleet of nearly 2,000 aircraft (1,685 fixed wing/ 310 rotary wing) in operation or on order, plus provides loans collateralized on an additional ~400 aircraft. GECAS serves ~250 customers in over 75 countries from a network of 25 offices. gecas.com

 

Media Contact for Milestone:

James Luton
Global Communications Leader
+1-203-842-5887
james.luton@gecas.com

 

About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 100,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

For more information about the Sikorsky’s S-92, please see: www.lockheedmartin.com/s92

 

Transaction Facilitated by Milestone’s Leasing Platform in Tianjin Free Trade Zone

Dublin, Ireland Jan 22, 2018 – Milestone Aviation Group (“Milestone”), a GE Capital Aviation Services company (“GECAS”) and the global leader in helicopter leasing announced today the delivery and lease of eight AW139 helicopters to Shanghai Kingwing Aviation Co. Ltd.(“Kingwing”). The medium twin-engine helicopters will join Kingwing’s existing fleet of 32 helicopters providing emergency medical services (“EMS”) in China and will facilitate expanded services to twenty-two provinces nationwide.

Established in 2006, Kingwing is the largest EMS helicopter operator in China, not only providing EMS services, but also aircraft hosting, consignment stock, crew training and helicopter maintenance services. The company is well placed to achieve continued growth in China’s developing helicopter industry as the country relaxes airspace restrictions and promotes expansion of EMS services.

Milestone leased its first helicopter in China in 2014, and GECAS has been active in China since 1988. In 2017, the companies collaborated in establishment of a leasing platform in the Tianjin Free Trade Zone. Milestone’s depth of knowledge and experience in this area will allow it to better serve helicopter operators based in China.

“We are delighted to partner with Kingwing on the largest helicopter lease placement ever in China,” said Milestone President and Chief Executive Officer, Daniel Rosenthal, adding “We have long believed China was prime for growth in civil helicopters and look forward to supporting capable operators such as Kingwing as they provide critical life-saving helicopter services across China.”

“We are grateful to Milestone for their support in this very large and complex transaction” said Kingwing’s President Zou Jianming. “China is a complex and fast-moving business environment. Milestone and General Electric, with significant resources in country, are preferred partners to deliver on a transaction of this size and scope. I look forward to working with the Milestone team as a close partner in the years to come.”

About Milestone Aviation Group

Milestone Aviation Group, a GE Capital Aviation Services company, is a leading helicopter leasing and financing company. Milestone has a fleet of helicopters worth over US $4.0 billion plus a loan portfolio and debt commitments of approximately $400 million. The company has a forward order book of firm and option aircraft with an estimated aggregate purchase price in excess of US $3 billion. Milestone partners with helicopter operators worldwide, providing a wide array of financial and productivity solutions, including operating leases, purchase/leasebacks, secured debt financing, engine leasing and fleet advisory. The company supports over 35 customers in more than 30 countries serving a variety of industries, including offshore oil and gas, search and rescue, emergency medical services, police surveillance, mining and other utility missions. www.milestoneaviation.com

GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS)
GECAS is a world leader in aviation leasing and financing. With 50 years of aviation finance experience, GECAS offers a wide range of aircraft types including narrow-bodies, wide-bodies, regional jets, turboprops, freighters and helicopters, plus multiple financing products and services including operating leases, purchase/leasebacks, secured debt financing, capital markets, engine leasing, airframe parts management and airport/airline consulting. GECAS owns or services a fleet of nearly 2,000 aircraft (1,673 fixed wing/ 324 rotary wing) in operation or on order, plus provides loans collateralized on an additional ~400 aircraft. GECAS serves more than 250 customers across 79 countries from a network of 26 offices. gecas.com

GE (NYSE: GE) is the world’s Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the “GE Store,” through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. www.ge.com

 

Media Contact for Milestone:
James Luton
Global Communications Leader
+1-203-842-5887
james.luton@gecas.com

– Five additional helicopters leased in 2017 –

Dublin, Ireland, Oct 16, 2017 – Milestone Aviation Group (“Milestone”) announced today the delivery of a Leonardo AW139 to Heligo Charters Private Limited (Heligo) in India. The delivery marks the fifth helicopter leased to Heligo in 2017, increasing the Mumbai-based operator’s fleet and enabling expansion of both on- and offshore services. Milestone, the global leader in helicopter leasing, began its lease partnership with Heligo in 2014 and has played a critical role in expanding the operators fleet to 15 aircraft, eight of which are on lease from Milestone.

Of the five helicopters delivered in 2017, the Leonardo AW139 and two Airbus AS365 Dauphins will operate offshore for the oil and gas industry while one Bell 412EP and one Leonardo AW109SP will expand Heligo’s onshore VIP charter services. The helicopters were sourced from Milestone’s installed fleet and transitioned from prior operations in Europe, Asia, and the United States.

“We are excited to expand our partnership with Heligo at this important time in their company’s growth,” said Milestone Vice President Commercial Michael York. “Heligo has grown to become one of the largest helicopter operators in India by providing highly skilled service through stringent safety standards. We are pleased that they have entrusted Milestone to help them grow their fleet and diversify their client base.”

“We highly value our relationship with Milestone. Their partnership approach gave Heligo access to a diverse fleet of helicopters and the flexibility to bid contracts without taking asset risk” said Chief Executive Officer, Captain K Padmanabhan. “Milestone has provided us with much more than a financial solution, their support has been a central element of our growth strategy, enabling us to grow aggressively but prudently.”

About Milestone Aviation Group

Milestone Aviation Group, a GE Capital Aviation Services company, is the world’s leading helicopter leasing and financing company. Milestone has a fleet of helicopters worth over US $4.0 billion plus a loan portfolio and debt commitments of approximately $400 million. The company has a forward order book of firm and option aircraft with an estimated aggregate purchase price in excess of US $3 billion. Milestone partners with helicopter operators worldwide, providing a wide array of financial and productivity solutions, including operating leases, purchase/leasebacks, secured debt financing, engine leasing and fleet advisory. The company supports over 35 customers in more than 30 countries serving a variety of industries, including offshore oil and gas, search and rescue, emergency medical services, police surveillance, mining and other utility missions. www.milestoneaviation.com

About GE Capital Aviation Services

GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) is a world leader in aviation leasing and financing.  With 50 years of aviation finance experience, GECAS offers a wide range of aircraft types including narrow-bodies, wide-bodies, regional jets, turboprops, freighters and helicopters, plus multiple financing products and services including operating leases, purchase/leasebacks, secured debt financing, capital markets, engine leasing, airframe parts management and airport/airline consulting.  GECAS owns or services a fleet of over 1,950 aircraft (1,660 fixed wing/ 306 rotary wing) in operation or on order, plus provides loans collateralized on an additional ~400 aircraft. GECAS serves ~264 customers in over 75 countries from a network of 26 offices. gecas.com

GE (NYSE: GE) is the world’s Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the “GE Store,” through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure, and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. ge.com

About Heligo Charters Private Limited

Heligo Charters Pvt. Ltd is in the business of providing offshore helicopter services to the oil & gas industry in India. Formed and operated by a team of highly experienced aviation professionals in offshore helicopter services, the Company is a part J V Gokal Group (JVG). A completely privately held group, JVG’s foray into air logistics and aviation engineering since 2007 for non-scheduled charter services, is a strategic extension of their broad spectrum Indian onshore and overseas businesses, which cover engineering, software, financials, infrastructure, tea, commodities and other niche initiatives.

Media Contact for Milestone:
James Luton
Global Communications Leader
+1-203-842-5887
james.luton@gecas.com