Global helicopter dealership Rotortrade has strengthened its support capabilities in East Africa through a new cooperation with Helicopters International Ltd (Helint), a Nairobi-based helicopter maintenance and support provider. The collaboration is aimed at improving maintenance access and technical support for helicopter operators across the region while reinforcing Rotortrade’s expanding global aftermarket network.
The cooperation will enable Rotortrade to provide customers with easier access to local maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, enhancing operational responsiveness for both leased and owned helicopters operating across Eastern Africa.
Helint brings an established regional footprint to the partnership, operating multiple Part 145 maintenance approvals across East and Central Africa, with additional certifications currently underway. The company supports both scheduled and unscheduled line and base maintenance for a broad range of helicopter platforms, including the MD500 series, Airbus Helicopters H125 family, Leonardo AW119, AW109 and AW139, as well as Bell and Agusta-Bell 212 and 412 helicopters.
In addition to airframe maintenance, Helint is a certified service centre for Pratt & Whitney Canada engines and Honeywell, further strengthening its ability to deliver comprehensive technical support to operators across the region.
The cooperation is expected to support Rotortrade’s helicopter lease and sales activities by providing local maintenance capabilities during aircraft transitions, inspections and entry-into-service programmes. The company said the initiative complements its existing global MRO infrastructure by bringing maintenance support closer to customers and improving service responsiveness.
“East Africa continues to represent an important and growing market for helicopter operators,” said Aurélien Blanc, Executive Vice President and Head of Region APAC/MEA at Rotortrade. “As we continue to expand our global support infrastructure, it is essential that we also work closely with experienced regional organizations. This cooperation allows us to enhance our ability to support customers locally while maintaining the flexibility and technical standards they expect from Rotortrade,” Blanc said.
Mandeep Singh Osahan, Managing Director of Helint, said the collaboration combines Helint‘s regional presence with its established MRO expertise to better support operators across Greater East Africa. “We are pleased to cooperate with Rotortrade and support their activities, especially with our strategic footprint and MRO capabilities in Greater East Africa. Our regional maintenance capabilities and experience across multiple helicopter platforms position us well to assist operators and facilitate aircraft transitions, inspections and ongoing technical support where required,” Osahan said.
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According to the companies, Helint’s regional infrastructure will provide Rotortrade with additional flexibility in supporting aircraft inspections, technical evaluations, maintenance planning and entry-into-service activities based on customer requirements.
The cooperation reflects Rotortrade‘s broader strategy of strengthening its global support network through partnerships with established regional MRO providers. By combining its international helicopter expertise with local maintenance capabilities, the company aims to deliver faster, more reliable and technically consistent support for helicopter operators in one of Africa’s growing rotorcraft markets.
As helicopter activity continues to expand across sectors such as offshore operations, emergency medical services, tourism, mining and government missions in East Africa, the partnership is expected to improve regional MRO accessibility while supporting aircraft availability and operational continuity for operators across the region.
