Airbus Helicopters H135 vs Airbus Helicopters H145 vs Bell 429 Globalranger vs Leonardo Aw109 Grand New vs Leonardo Aw109 Trekker vs Leonardo Aw119kx vs Leonardo Sh09
In category, the Airbus H135 and Leonardo AW109 Grand New sit in the light twin segment focused on EMS, law enforcement, and corporate utility, while the Airbus H145, Bell 429 GlobalRanger, and Leonardo AW109 Trekker are larger light-intermediate twins emphasizing higher cabin volume and mission flexibility. The Leonardo AW119Kx is the outlier as a light single, generally optimized for lower operating cost, training, and utility roles rather than twin-engine redundancy. The Leonardo SH09 (often marketed as a new-generation light single) targets a similar light-single utility space with modern avionics and efficient operations. On range, these types broadly cluster from roughly mid-300 nautical miles into the 400+ nautical mile class depending on fuel, payload, and reserves: H135 and AW109 variants typically offer solid mid-range legs, the H145 and Bell 429 often deliver competitive or better practical range with larger fuel/payload tradeoffs, and the AW119Kx and SH09 can be efficient but remain constrained by single-engine mission profiles and payload-range balancing. For passenger capacity, H135 commonly accommodates around 6–7 passengers, the H145 and Bell 429 typically about 7–8 with more usable cabin, AW109 Grand New and Trekker usually around 6–7, and AW119Kx and SH09 generally about 6–7 depending on configuration.
| Spec | AIRBUS H135 | AIRBUS H145 | Bell 429 GlobalRanger | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW109 Grand New | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW109 Trekker | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW119Kx | AGUSTA / LEONARDO SH09 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| DOC / nm | $ 6.33 | $ 9.31 | $ 6.29 | $ 7.31 | $ 7.40 | $ 6.76 | $4.48 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total Seats | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Flight Rules | IFR | IFR | IFR | VFR | VFR | VFR | VFR |
| Manufacturer | Airbus Helicopters | Airbus Helicopters | Bell | Leonardo | Leonardo | Leonardo | Leonardo |
| Aircraft Name | H135 | H145 | 429 GlobalRanger | AW109 Grand New | AW109 Trekker | AW119Kx | SH09 |
| Certification | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | In-Development |
| Max Range (nm) | 342 | 352 | 365 | 464 | 450 | 515 | 430 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.79 | $ 0.93 | $ 0.79 | $ 0.91 | $ 0.93 | $ 0.84 | $0.56 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 7 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| OEM Verification | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 3124 | 4200 | 2535 | — | — | — | — |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 861 | $ 1,210 | $ 931 | $ 1,140 | $ 1,125 | $ 885 | $627 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Helionix | EFIS | Bell BasiX-Pro | EFIS | Genesys Aerosystems | Garmin G1000H | EFIS |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 136 | 130 | 148 | 156 | 152 | 131 | 140 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $6,150,000 | $10,200,000 | $7,500,000 | $ 7,800,000 | $6,950,000 | $3,850,000 | $3,500,000 |
| Max Passengers | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 |
| Cabin | |||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total Seats | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Configuration | Green Interior | Green Interior | — | — | — | — | — |
| Max Cabin Seats | 7 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | — |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Engine | |||||||
| FADEC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Model | Arrius 2B2+ | Arriel 2E | PW207D1 | PW207C | PW207C | PT6B-37A | HTS 900 |
| Fuel Type | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel |
| TBO (hrs) | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4500 | 5500 |
| Horsepower | 660 | 894 | 1100 | 735 | 735 | 917 | 1020 |
| No. of Engines | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Fuel Burn (gph) | — | — | 76 | — | — | — | — |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | — | — | 216.9 | 152 | 152 | 160 | — |
| Dimensions | |||||||
| Length (ft) | 33.5 | 44.8 | 43 | 42.5 | 42.5 | 42.5 | — |
| Overall Height (ft) | 12.6 | 13 | 13.25 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 11.9 | — |
| Rotor Diameter (ft) | 34 | 36.1 | 36 | 35.5 | 35.5 | 35.5 | — |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | 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 | — | — | — | — |