Airbus Helicopters H135 vs Bell 429wlg Globalranger vs Leonardo Aw119kx vs Leonardo Aw139 vs Leonardo Aw169 vs Leonardo Aw189 vs Md Helicopters Md 902 Exlplorer

In category, the Airbus H135 and MD Helicopters MD 902 Explorer are light twin-engine helicopters often chosen for EMS, law enforcement, and corporate utility; the H135 is more modern and widely supported, while the MD 902 is distinctive for its NOTAR anti-torque system. The Leonardo AW119Kx is the main outlier as a light single-engine aircraft, typically used where lower operating cost matters more than twin-engine redundancy. The Bell 429WLG GlobalRanger and Leonardo AW169 sit in the light–intermediate twin segment, offering larger cabins and higher cruise performance than the H135/MD902 class. The Leonardo AW139 is a true medium twin, widely used for offshore and VIP transport, and generally outpaces light–intermediate types in payload and mission flexibility. The Leonardo AW189 is a heavier super-medium twin optimized for longer-range offshore and SAR-style missions. For range, AW189 and AW139 are typically longest, AW169 and Bell 429 are mid-to-high, H135 and MD 902 are mid, and AW119Kx is generally mid but mission-dependent. For passenger capacity, AW119Kx and H135 commonly seat about 6–7, MD 902 about 7–8, Bell 429 and AW169 about 7–10, AW139 about 12–15, and AW189 about 16–19 in typical high-density layouts.