Leonardo reported a 31% rise in first-quarter 2026 orders to €9.0 billion, driven by combat aircraft activity and a major helicopter award. The company confirmed a contract for 23 AW149 helicopters under the UK New Medium Helicopter programme on 28 February 2026.
The order intake produced a book-to-bill ratio of about 2.0 and lifted the backlog to €56.8 billion. Leonardo’s helicopter division generated about €2.7 billion of orders in the quarter, while the aircraft business was supported by Eurofighter and GCAP-related work.
The industrial impact is significant for Leonardo’s rotary-wing footprint, including production at Yeovil in the UK, where the AW149 deal secures multi-year workload. The company said first-quarter profitability improved, with higher volumes and a more favourable programme mix supporting margins and earnings growth.