Airbus Helicopters H135 vs Airbus Helicopters H130 vs Airbus Helicopters H135 vs Airbus Helicopters H145 vs Bell 429 Globalranger vs Leonardo Aw109 Grand New
Commercial aircraft generally fall into three broad categories: regional, narrow-body, and wide-body. Regional aircraft, often turboprops or small regional jets, are designed for shorter routes and frequent hops between smaller airports; they typically carry about 30 to 90 passengers and fly roughly 200 to 1,500 nautical miles depending on model and conditions. Narrow-body jets, the mainstay of domestic and short-to-medium international travel, balance capacity and efficiency; they commonly seat around 120 to 220 passengers and cover about 1,500 to 3,700 nautical miles, making them suitable for transcontinental routes and many intercontinental flights with longer-range variants. Wide-body aircraft serve high-demand long-haul markets and offer greater cargo volume and passenger comfort; they usually carry about 250 to 400+ passengers and can reach approximately 4,000 to 8,500 nautical miles, enabling long-distance international service. In practice, airlines choose between these categories by matching expected demand, airport constraints, and route length, with larger aircraft favored on dense, long routes and smaller aircraft on thinner, shorter routes.
| Spec | AIRBUS H130 | AIRBUS H135 | AIRBUS H135 | AIRBUS H145 | Bell 429 GlobalRanger | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW109 Grand New |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | ||||||
| Cockpit | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| DOC / nm | $ 5.00 | $ 6.33 | $ 6.33 | $ 9.31 | $ 6.29 | $ 7.31 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total Seats | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Flight Rules | VFR | IFR | IFR | IFR | IFR | VFR |
| Manufacturer | Airbus Helicopters | Airbus Helicopters | Airbus Helicopters | Airbus Helicopters | Bell | Leonardo |
| Aircraft Name | H130 | H135 | H135 | H145 | 429 GlobalRanger | AW109 Grand New |
| Certification | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA |
| Max Range (nm) | 333 | 342 | 342 | 352 | 365 | 464 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.71 | $ 0.79 | $ 0.79 | $ 0.93 | $ 0.79 | $ 0.91 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 5 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 6 |
| OEM Verification | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | VERIFIED | Un-Verified |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 2299 | 3124 | 3124 | 4200 | 2535 | — |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 4 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 640 | $ 861 | $ 861 | $ 1,210 | $ 931 | $ 1,140 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Garmin G500H | Helionix | Helionix | EFIS | Bell BasiX-Pro | EFIS |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 128 | 136 | 136 | 130 | 148 | 156 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $3,450,000 | $6,150,000 | $6,150,000 | $10,200,000 | $7,500,000 | $ 7,800,000 |
| Cabin | ||||||
| Cockpit | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total Seats | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 5 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 6 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 4 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| Configuration | — | Green Interior | Green Interior | Green Interior | — | — |
| Engine | ||||||
| FADEC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Model | Arriel 2D | Arrius 2B2+ | Arrius 2B2+ | Arriel 2E | PW207D1 | PW207C |
| Fuel Type | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel |
| TBO (hrs) | 5000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 |
| Horsepower | 952 | 660 | 660 | 894 | 1100 | 735 |
| No. of Engines | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | 143 | — | — | — | 216.9 | 152 |
| Fuel Burn (gph) | — | — | — | — | 76 | — |
| Dimensions | ||||||
| Length (ft) | 41.5 | 33.5 | 33.5 | 44.8 | 43 | 42.5 |
| Overall Height (ft) | 11.1 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 13 | 13.25 | 11.5 |
| Rotor Diameter (ft) | 35.1 | 34 | 34 | 36.1 | 36 | 35.5 |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | — | 173 | 173 | 166 | 130 | — |
| Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft) | — | — | — | 46.8 | 74 | — |
| Width (ft) | — | — | — | — | 26.37 | — |
| Cabin Width (ft) | — | — | — | — | 5 | — |
| Cabin Height (ft) | — | — | — | — | 4 | — |
| Cabin Length (ft) | — | — | — | — | 6.58 | — |