Normal functions verified in Thai army's Agusta Westland choppers

BANGKOK, November 2 (TNA) - All 15 Agusta Westland helicopters, models AW139 and AW149, of the Royal Thai Army have been verified for their normal functions. New Thai Army Chief General Apirat Kongsompong told journalists on Friday that a team of engineers and technicians from the Malaysian branch of Italy-based Leonardo S.p.A., the producer of the Agusta Westland choppers, came to thoroughly check all the 15 AW139 and AW149 helicopters in Bangkok on October 30, as requested by the Royal Thai Army, and verified that all were in their normal functions. General Apirat stated that he was informed the result by the Department of Army Transportation, which was earlier instructed to look into a case recently lodged by a non-profit foundation, through the Office of the Auditor General of Thailand (OAG), regarding its concern over the safety of the Agusta Westland helicopters, both the AW139 and the AW149 models. The new Thai army commander said the move was in immediate response to a crash of the Agusta Westland AW169 private helicopter in the UK Leicester City of a Thai famous billionaire, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who owned Thailand's established King Power Duty Free business and the Premier League Leicester City Football Club (Leicester City F.C.) on October 27, killing the Thai business mogul and all four others aboard the chopper in a raging flame immediately after the crash. According to the Thai army chief, there are now 10 Agusta Westland AW139 and five AW149 in the Royal Thai Army's aviation operational sector, which have been procured since the 2012 fiscal year in the packaged form, covering its simulator, ground systems and two-year guaranteed-parts, plus training courses for pilots and technicians. (TNA)