Airbus Helicopters H135 vs Airbus Helicopters H175 vs Bell 429wlg Globalranger vs Bell 525 Relentless vs Leonardo Aw139 vs Leonardo Aw169 vs Leonardo Aw189
The Airbus H135 and Bell 429WLG GlobalRanger sit in the light twin category, typically used for EMS, police, and short-haul utility work; they offer the shortest ranges of this group and generally carry about six to seven passengers (plus crew) in typical corporate/utility layouts. Moving up, the Leonardo AW169 is a light‑intermediate twin with more cabin volume and longer legs than the H135/429, often seating around eight to ten passengers. The Airbus H175 and Leonardo AW139 compete in the medium twin segment, delivering a clear step up in range and payload, with common seating around 12–15 passengers depending on configuration. At the heavier end, the Leonardo AW189 is a super‑medium optimized for offshore and longer missions, with among the best range and a typical passenger count around 16–19. The Bell 525 Relentless also targets the super‑medium class, emphasizing longer-range missions and a larger cabin, broadly comparable in passenger capacity to the AW189 and generally exceeding the medium-class aircraft for range.
| Spec | AIRBUS H135 | AIRBUS H175 | Bell 429WLG GlobalRanger | Bell 525 Relentless | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW139 | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW169 | AGUSTA / LEONARDO AW189 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| DOC / nm | $ 6.33 | $ 13.53 | $ 6.05 | — | $ 11.69 | $ 11.84 | $ 15.57 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Total Seats | 9 | 18 | 8 | 18 | 17 | 12 | 21 |
| Flight Rules | IFR | IFR | IFR | IFR | IFR | IFR | IFR |
| Manufacturer | Airbus Helicopters | Airbus Helicopters | Bell | Bell | Leonardo | Leonardo | Leonardo |
| Aircraft Name | H135 | H175 | 429WLG GlobalRanger | 525 Relentless | AW139 | AW169 | AW189 |
| Certification | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA |
| Max Range (nm) | 342 | 573 | 381 | 580 | 573 | 440 | 651 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.79 | $ 0.75 | $ 0.76 | — | $ 0.69 | $ 0.99 | $ 0.74 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 7 | 18 | 6 | 16 | 15 | 10 | 19 |
| OEM Verification | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | VERIFIED | VERIFIED | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 3124 | 6797 | 2528 | 6675 | 4701 | — | — |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 7 | 16 | 6 | 16 | 15 | 10 | 19 |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 861 | $ 2,016 | $ 931 | — | $ 1,929 | $ 1,658 | $ 2,413 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Helionix | EFIS | Bell BasiX-Pro | Garmin G5000H | EFIS | EFIS | EFIS |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 136 | 149 | 154 | 160 | 165 | 140 | 155 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $6,150,000 | $17,900,000 | $7,700,000 | $15,000,000 | $15,900,000 | $9,450,000 | $2,413,000 |
| Cabin | |||||||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Min Crew | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Total Seats | 9 | 18 | 8 | 18 | 17 | 12 | 21 |
| Configuration | Green Interior | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Max Cabin Seats | 7 | 18 | 6 | 16 | 15 | 10 | 19 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 7 | 16 | 6 | 16 | 15 | 10 | 19 |
| Engine | |||||||
| FADEC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Dual-Channel | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Model | Arrius 2B2+ | PT6A-67E | PW207D1 | CT7-2F1 | PT6C-67C | PW210A | CT7-2E1 |
| Fuel Type | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel | JetFuel |
| TBO (hrs) | 4000 | 3500 | 4000 | 4000 | 5000 | 4000 | 4000 |
| Horsepower | 660 | 1775 | 1100 | 1800 | 1679 | 1000 | 1983 |
| No. of Engines | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Fuel Burn (gph) | — | — | 76 | — | — | — | — |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | — | — | 216.9 | 641 | 414 | — | — |
| Dimensions | |||||||
| Length (ft) | 33.5 | 59.2 | 43 | 61.58 | 54.7 | 48.1 | 57.8 |
| Overall Height (ft) | 12.6 | 17.5 | 12.39 | 18.18 | 16.4 | 14.8 | 16.6 |
| Rotor Diameter (ft) | 34 | 48.5 | 36 | 54.5 | 54.7 | — | 48 |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | 173 | 423.8 | 130 | — | 282 | 222.5 | 395 |
| Baggage Volume Ext. (cu. ft) | — | 81.9 | 74 | 128 | 120 | 49.5 | 85 |
| Width (ft) | — | — | 26.37 | 25.77 | — | — | — |
| Cabin Width (ft) | — | — | 5 | 7.58 | — | — | — |
| Cabin Height (ft) | — | — | 4 | 4.5 | — | — | — |
| Cabin Length (ft) | — | — | 6.58 | 15.5 | — | — | — |