In June 2015, it was reported that slow development of the ice-protection systems that is to be offered upon the AW189 had delayed the introduction of Bristow Helicopters UK-based SAR operations using the type, at the time being in a state of "operational evaluation".
En xuño de 2015 informouse que o lento desenvolvemento dos sistemas de protección contra o xeo que incorporará o AW189 atrasara a introdución do aparello nas operacións SAR baseadas no Reino Unido de Bristow Helicopters, que nese momento estaba nun estado de "avaliación operacional".