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Airbus Helicopters starts delivery of EC145 T2 with DRF Luftrettung

Next-generation helicopter: quietest in its class with improved performance and lower operating costs

Donauwörth, July 31, 2014 – The handover of the first EC145 T2 to DRF Luftrettung marks yet another milestone for Airbus Helicopters in the successful program for the BK117/EC145 family. In spring 2014, the latest addition to the family received certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency EASA and is now ready to take on a wide variety of missions. More than 100 orders have already been placed for the new helicopter, which was developed and manufactured in Donauwörth.

Dr. Wolfgang Schoder, CEO of Airbus Helicopters in Germany, handed over this first EC145 to German air rescue company DRF Luftrettung, which has ordered 20 of these helicopters.

(c) Airbus Helicopters / Ch.Abarr - july 2014

"The handover of the first EC145 T2 is a significant event for all of us at Airbus Helicopters and we are thrilled to be delivering this aircraft to one of our most loyal customers—DRF Luftrettung. The EC145 T2 embodies our aim to offer our customers the best helicopters for their missions, with economical operating costs and tailored support and service packages," said Schoder.

"We’re proud today to be the first operator in the world to take delivery of an EC145 T2," explained Steffen Lutz, a member of the DRF Luftrettung Board of Directors. "We’re expecting this helicopter to enter service at our 24/7 air rescue station in Munich around the end of the year. We’ve been using night vision goggles there since 2009, when we became Germany’s first air rescue organization to do so, and the new EC145 T2 is ideal for nighttime rescue missions."

The EC145 T2 has proved itself to be a genuine multi-role helicopter. Its compact size, the variety of flexible cabin equipment options, and outstanding flight performance even under the most extreme weather conditions open up a host of mission possibilities. This is why Europe’s leading air rescue organizations have among them ordered a total of 85 of these aircraft. These customers have been joined by a German police air squadron and the German Armed Forces, which plans to customize 15 of these helicopters for Special Forces operations. In addition, the EC145 T2 will be used to transport personnel to offshore platforms, and orders have also been received for the luxury corporate version designed for business travel. Some 20 helicopters will be delivered by the end of this year.

Its improved performance and particular suitability for air rescue missions sets the EC145 T2 apart from earlier models in the BK117/EC145 family. It fulfills the most recent and stringent aviation authority regulations while also requiring less maintenance thanks to an extended time-between-overhaul on main components and the setup of a maintenance continuous improvement process.. And with noise emissions significantly below international limits, the EC145 T2 is the quietest helicopter in its class.

Among the new features are Turbomeca Arriel-2E engines with dual-channel full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and a Fenestron® shrouded tail rotor, along with upgraded main and new tail rotor gear boxes. The cockpit uses the Helionix® digital avionics suite with 4-axis autopilot that was developed by Airbus Helicopters. Its outstanding hover performance—even in single-engine situations (one engine inoperative, OEI)—is crucial for flight safety, especially for air rescue missions.

The EC145 T2 is a twin-engine, four-ton-class, multi-role helicopter that was first presented in 2011. It is the latest addition to Airbus Helicopters’ BK117/EC145 family, which is designed and built in Donauwörth and has enjoyed decades of success.

Airbus Helicopters offers customers an extensive range of services to support them in putting the EC145 T2 into service and also later during operation. This includes training for technicians and pilots as well as an enhanced inventory of spare parts and tailored maintenance programs, such as the parts-by-the-hour service or Turbomeca’s service-by-the-hour option for the engines. These maintenance programs are designed to reduce operating costs and ensure the rotorcraft experience the highest levels of availability. A full flight simulator will be available in 2016.

Images and videos of the handover can be viewed at:
http://events.airbushelicopters.com

About DRF Luftrettung
DRF Luftrettung deploys helicopters on emergency rescue missions and to transport critically ill patients between hospitals. It operates 30 bases across Germany and Austria—eight of which are manned 24 hours a day. Several air ambulances are also used to rescue injured people from all over the world. Over the past 41 years, the red-and-white life savers have performed some 700,000 rescue missions. In the first half of 2014 alone, DRF Luftrettung’s pilots, emergency physicians and paramedics responded to 19,523 situations. As a non-profit organization, DRF Luftrettung relies on donations to continue its activities. For more information visit www.drf-luftrettung.de or go to www.facebook.com/drfluftrettung.

About Airbus Helicopters
Airbus Helicopters, formerly Eurocopter, is a division of Airbus Group, a global pioneer in aerospace and defense related services. Airbus Helicopters is the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer and employs more than 23,000 people worldwide. With 46 percent market share in civil and parapublic sectors, the company’s fleet in service includes some 12,000 helicopters operated by more than 3,000 customers in approximately 150 countries. Airbus Helicopters’ international presence is marked by its subsidiaries and participations in 21 countries, and its worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents. Airbus Helicopters’ range of civil and military helicopters is the world’s largest; its aircraft account for one third of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet. The company’s chief priority is to ensure the safe operation of its aircraft for the thousands of people who fly more than 3 million hours per year.

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Airbus Helicopters wins tender for two medical helicopters in Russia

Two specially-equipped EC145 helicopters will be delivered for air ambulance service operations in Moscow according to terms of the state tender for the contract.

Moscow, 28 July 2014 – As recently announced by the Moscow Health Department, following an open tender, Airbus Helicopters Vostok was awarded a contract to supply two medical helicopters for the Health Department’s Scientific and Practical Centre of Emergency Medicine. The preferred rotorcraft among two other bidders was the proven EC145.

“Our EC145 has already been very successful as a medical helicopter in Moscow, with three operated by Moscow Aviation Centre, saving around 600 lives each year,” said Laurence Rigolini, Airbus Helicopters Vostok General Manager. “The Airbus Helicopters story in Russia actually started with a medical helicopter we delivered for the EMERCOM back in 2006, and we are very happy that our products have remained the backbone of the local medevac fleet over these years. We look forward to delivering two more EC145 helicopters to Moscow, and we thank our customers for their long-lasting confidence in our team.”, Rigolini commented.

The tender documentation requires two new medical helicopters to be delivered in 2015 and to be equipped with an oxygen tank, resuscitator, and defibrillator, as well as with a reanimation complex and neonatal intensive treatment (including incubator and lung ventilator for newborns). The deliveries are expected as early as next year.

The multi-purpose light twin-engine EC145 is a worldwide bestseller as a medical emergency rotorcraft. Worldwide deliveries exceed a total of 650 units, of which the medical fleet accounts for about 30%. The EC145 is equipped with two powerful and reliable Turbomeca Arriel1E2 engines and a modern hingeless rotor system, which together provide outstanding performance and vital power reserves even in one-engine-inoperative scenarios. Its spacious cabin allows transportation of up to two patients on stretchers and accompanying medical personnel with all necessary emergency equipment.

About Airbus Helicopters Vostok (Website: www.airbushelicopters.ru)

Airbus Helicopters Vostok, known as Eurocopter Vostok until 2014, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Airbus Helicopters established in 2005 to ensure helicopter sales, fleet safety follow-up and customer support and services in Russia and the CIS. Civil Airbus Helicopters models operated in Russia have been granted type certificates by the International Aviation Committee (IAC). Over 155 rotorcraft produced by Airbus Helicopters are operated in Russia, as well as over 70 in other CIS member states. Airbus Helicopters holds over 60% of the Russian market for turbine helicopters of foreign make. Airbus Helicopters Vostok together with local partners in Russia and CIS established a network of a flight training centers and maintenance centers to provide service for rotorcrafts.

About Airbus Helicopters
Airbus Helicopters, formerly Eurocopter, is a division of Airbus Group, a global pioneer in aerospace and defense related services. Airbus Helicopters is the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer and employs more than 23,000 people worldwide. With 46 percent market share in civil and parapublic sectors, the company’s fleet in service includes some 12,000 helicopters operated by more than 3,000 customers in approximately 150 countries. Airbus Helicopters’ international presence is marked by its subsidiaries and participations in 21 countries, and its worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents. Airbus Helicopters’ range of civil and military helicopters is the world’s largest; its aircraft account for one third of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet. The company’s chief priority is to ensure the safe operation of its aircraft for the thousands of people who fly more than 3 million hours per year.

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Derazona Helicopters buys its first rotorcraft from Airbus Helicopters: a multi-role AS350 B3e

Marignane, France, 22July 2014 – Airbus Helicopters has increased its global customer base with the first order from Derazona Helicopters in Indonesia, which is acquiring a fully-equipped AS350 B3e for utility missions.

Derazona Helicopters, a leading helicopter operator in Indonesia, has been providing services that range from transportation for the oil and gas industry to medical evacuation, aerial filming, charters and tourism flights. For the first time in more than 40 years of operation, Derazona Helicopters is expanding its scope of activities to include utility missions, and has decided to make their very first Airbus Helicopters purchase.

“With our acquisition of this AS350 B3e, we are looking to expand our capabilities and provide better, more comprehensive services to our customers,” stated Ramadi Widyardiono, Derazona Helicopters’ Business Development Manager. “We chose the AS350 B3e as it is the most suitable solution for the geographical landscape in Indonesia.”

© Anthony Pecchi

The single-engine rotorcraft member of Airbus Helicopters’ Ecureuil family will be delivered to the Indonesian operator this December, with its duties including transporting external cargo loads, long-line operations, firefighting and general heli-lift missions.

“We are very honored that an experienced and established operator like Derazona Helicopters has placed their trust in our products to expand their scope of capabilities,” said Ludovic Boistot, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters’ Indonesia subsidiary. “It is with pride that we welcome them to the Airbus Helicopters family of operators today.”

There are 17 Ecureuil family helicopters operating in Indonesia today, and the AS350 is recognized as the most successful and reliable helicopter in Indonesia’s utility market, demonstrating its performance and efficiency in the country’s hot and high environments.

These rotorcraft are backed by Airbus Helicopters’ wholly-owned subsidiary in Indonesia, established in 2008 to provide in-country support for both governmental and civil customers. Last year, it opened its own service center in Jakarta – the first such center owned and operated by an international helicopter manufacturer in Indonesia – offering additional resources and employing a team of highly-qualified technicians dedicated to providing local customer support.

The AS350 B3e is a high-performance, light single-engine helicopter adapted for extreme operating conditions, including at very high altitudes and temperatures , and has the capability to transport heavy loads and perform a wide variety of missions. As an enhanced version of the AS350 Ecureuil, it features an improved engine and new interior design, for additional ease of piloting and maintenance.

About Airbus Helicopters
Airbus Helicopters, formerly Eurocopter, is a division of Airbus Group, a global pioneer in aerospace and defense related services. Airbus Helicopters is the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer and employs more than 23,000 people worldwide. With 46 percent market share in civil and parapublic sectors, the company’s fleet in service includes some 12,000 helicopters operated by more than 3,000 customers in approximately 150 countries. Airbus Helicopters’ international presence is marked by its subsidiaries and participations in 21 countries, and its worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents. Airbus Helicopters’ range of civil and military helicopters is the world’s largest; its aircraft account for one third of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet. The company’s chief priority is to ensure the safe operation of its aircraft for the thousands of people who fly more than 3 million hours per year.

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Airbus Helicopters’ EC135 T3/P3 takes on the Alps

Enhanced EC135 is endorsed by customers during demonstration event

Donauwörth, Germany, 15 July 2014 – The enhanced EC135 T3/P3 version of Airbus Helicopters’ EC135 twin-engine rotorcraft demonstrated its improved performance – especially in high-and-hot operating conditions – during a three-day demonstration event in the Italian Dolomites.

Operating from the facilities of Helicopters Italia near the city of Trento, the helicopter conducted 14 customer and operator flights last week, confirming the significant power reserves that provide increased safety margins during flight and while maneuvering. The EC135 T3/P3 benefits from an improved flight envelope, especially in hot-and-high environment as well as CAT A and single engine performance. In addition to an enlarged rate of climb at sea level, the EC135 T3/P3 also offers an increased maximum-take-off-weight of 2,980 kg.

Customers and operators who flew the aircraft during the demonstration praised the helicopter’s noticeable improvements, saying that they could “immediately feel the difference” in comparison to the previous EC135 T2e/P2e version. They noted that “the additional power enhances safety” and offers “more reserve for emergency operations”. Others appreciated the “big step forward in performance, especially at high altitudes” as well as “the smoothness of the control” and the “stable hover” which is crucial for winching operations.

© Airbus Helicopters, Charles Abarr

Among the enhancements integrated on this latest version of Airbus Helicopter’s light, multipurpose rotorcraft family are an enlarged main rotor, a modified air intake, modernization of the FADEC flight control software, cockpit innovations and enhanced interior versatility.

The T3/P3 designations signify the availability of two upgraded engine options on the helicopters: Turbomeca’s Arrius 2B2 “Plus” for the EC135 T3; and Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PWC 206B3 for the EC135 P3. Deliveries of EC135 T3/P3s will begin later this year.

More than 1,100 EC135s are in service worldwide, with a combined total of some three million recorded flight hours. Thanks to its versatility the EC135 is used for numerous missions including Police and Emergency Medical Services, the transport of private or business travelers, as well as advanced military training, maintenance of wind energy plants and transport flights for offshore platforms.

A video and photos of the demo event are available on our website:
http://events.airbushelicopters.com/en/article/video-ec135-t3p3-demo-event-trento-italy

About Airbus Helicopters
Airbus Helicopters, formerly Eurocopter, is a division of Airbus Group, a global pioneer in aerospace and defense related services. Airbus Helicopters is the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer and employs more than 23,000 people worldwide. With 46 percent market share in civil and parapublic sectors, the company’s fleet in service includes some 12,000 helicopters operated by more than 3,000 customers in approximately 150 countries. Airbus Helicopters’ international presence is marked by its subsidiaries and participations in 21 countries, and its worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents. Airbus Helicopters’ range of civil and military helicopters is the world’s largest; its aircraft account for one third of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet. The company’s chief priority is to ensure the safe operation of its aircraft for the thousands of people who fly more than 3 million hours per year.

For more information please contact:

Airbus Helicopters to design new compound rotorcraft demonstrator in the frame of Clean Sky 2 program

Marignane, 16 July 2014 – The design of a large-scale compound rotorcraft demonstrator dubbed LifeRCraft (Low Impact Fast & Efficient RotorCraft) will be led by Airbus Helicopters in the framework of Europe’s Clean Sky 2 Joint Technology Initiative, which was formally launched last week at Brussels.

The go-ahead for this second phase of the Clean Sky effort will enable Airbus Helicopters to apply expertise gained from its highly successful X3 hybrid testbed, while also benefitting from the company’s track record of helicopter innovation in airframe construction, integrated systems, flight controls and aerodynamics.

The LifeRCraft architecture combines fixed wings for energy-efficient lift, open propellers for high-efficiency propulsion, and a main rotor that provides VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) flight capabilities.

Launched in 2008, Clean Sky is a multi-year public-private partnership involving the European Commission and Europe’s aviation industry, with the goal of bringing significant step changes to reducing the sector’s environmental impact. Through a multi-phase approach, Clean Sky 2 is the continuation to the progress achieved in the first Clean Sky Programme which will end in 2017. It intends to speed up technological breakthrough developments and shorten the time-to-market for more competitive and cleaner air transport solutions tested on full scale demonstrators. Through open calls Clean Sky 2 will involve a range of partners throughout Europe, in particular SMEs.

With today’s formal Clean Sky 2 go-ahead, the Airbus Helicopters-led compound rotorcraft program’s timing calls for preliminary studies, architecture and specification activity starting this year, with development and testing of component and subsystems envisioned in the 2016-2018 timeframe. Flight evaluations could start in early 2019.

“Clean Sky 2 underscores Europe’s commitment to aligning its strengths and significantly increasing investment in research and technology, building on such advancements as the X3 hybrid demonstrator that successfully validated the compound aircraft configuration and proved its capabilities with a significant breakthrough in terms of rotorcraft speed,” explained Tomasz Krysinski, Airbus Helicopters’ Vice President – Research and Innovation. “This will position European industry for the potential development of a commercial aircraft based on this concept, with reduced risk before a go/no-go decision is made.”

Such a future compound aircraft would combine higher cruise speeds with excellent vertical takeoff and landing performance at affordable operating costs, making it well-suited for such vital public service duties as emergency medical airlift, search and rescue, coast guard and border patrol operations; while also contributing to the overall enhancement of mobility through operations ranging from passenger transport and inter-city shuttle services to off-shore airlift for the oil and gas sector.

Within the frame of the first Clean Sky program Airbus Helicopters is a major player in another demonstrator project, the Green Rotorcraft platform. This includes the development of a High Compression Engine with the aim to drastically reduce the fuel consumption and gas emission of the next generation of light helicopters. Ground tests based on a modified EC120 are planned for the third quarter of 2014.

About Airbus Helicopters
Airbus Helicopters, formerly Eurocopter, is a division of Airbus Group, a global pioneer in aerospace and defense related services. Airbus Helicopters is the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer and employs more than 23,000 people worldwide. With 46 percent market share in civil and parapublic sectors, the company’s fleet in service includes some 12,000 helicopters operated by more than 3,000 customers in approximately 150 countries. Airbus Helicopters’ international presence is marked by its subsidiaries and participations in 21 countries, and its worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents. Airbus Helicopters’ range of civil and military helicopters is the world’s largest; its aircraft account for one third of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet. The company’s chief priority is to ensure the safe operation of its aircraft for the thousands of people who fly more than 3 million hours per year.

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Airbus Helicopters marks 40 years as a training partner for British military pilots

U.K. ranks high among other Airbus Helicopters training successes

Farnborough, UK, 15 July 2014 – The important role of Airbus Helicopters in the ab-initio training of British military rotorcraft pilots is being marked by Airbus Helicopters during this week’s Farnborough Airshow.

During the past four decades, thousands of British crewmembers have earned their wings, trained on mission scenarios and practiced their flying skills aboard Airbus Helicopters-designed rotorcraft.
This activity traces its origins to the early 1970s, when single-engine Gazelles were first used for helicopter training by the Ministry of Defence with the RAF Central Flying School at RAF Tern Hill in 1973. The Gazelle also played a role at the School of Army Aviation, at Middle Wallop, where it was used to train army pilots for many years.

© Copyright John Hutchinson, 1988

Since 1997, 38 AS350BB Ecureuils have been used as basic training aircraft by the Defence Helicopter Flying School (DFHS), based at Shawbury, Wales, where they have logged more than 350,000 flight hours to date for the UK armed forces.

This activity contributes to the steady supply of pilots needed to maintain the UK’s defence capability, with the DHFS providing output for all three of the country’s armed forces: Army, Air Force and Navy.

Worldwide, Airbus Helicopters brings its training expertise at the service of numerous armed forces. In Germany, a fleet of 14 EC135s operate with the German Army’s flying training school at Bückeburg, backed by more than 60 Airbus Helicopters maintenance personnel, successfully delivering over 70,000 flight hours with more than 99 percent availability for the school.

Helidax, the French Defense Flying School, utilizes 36 EC120 rotorcraft with fully-digitized cockpits, consistently delivering over 580 hours per year per aircraft, with 54 Airbus Helicopters maintenance personnel ensuring 96 percent availability and low operating costs – providing excellent value to the customer.

Another training application for Airbus Helicopters-built rotorcraft is the Swiss Air Force helicopter school with 20 EC635s, featuring a modern glass cockpit. Completing 5,000 missions per year, the EC635 performs safely and reliably for its average 8,000 hours flown per year.

Further evidence of Airbus Helicopters’ training school output can be found at facilities the world over, including the Spanish Air Force Wing 78 Armilla, operating EC120s; the Japanese Navy with 15 EC135s; the Spanish Army flying 6 EC135s; the Indonesian Armed Forces operating 17 EC120s; and the Chinese Armed Forces, commanding 24 EC120/HC120, to name a few.

Airbus Airbus Helicopters UK
Airbus Helicopters UK Limited – Britain’s civil helicopter hub – and its predecessors have been present and highly active in the United Kingdom for 40 years, dominating the civil rotary-wing sector. Its contribution to the aerospace sector of the national economy includes the development of police aviation with a 75 percent market share, a 70 percent share of the air ambulance sector, and well over 50 percent of the offshore oil and gas market.
Airbus Helicopters UK Limited is headquartered in Oxford, with additional bases in Dublin (Ireland), Belfast (Northern Ireland), Hawarden (Wales) and Aberdeen (Scotland) and provides the full range of products and services for the rotary-wing sector, including prime contractor for the RAF Puma Mk2 upgrade and support programmes.
Some 450 Airbus helicopters form the largest part of the UK's helicopter fleet and the backbone of vital national infrastructure, with approximately 100 helicopters serving the UK Ministry of Defence for transport, training and high end operational missions. To date, Airbus Helicopters UK Limited has exported high technology helicopter solutions to 23 nations worldwide. The Airbus group employs more than 1500 people across the British Isles.

About Airbus Helicopters
Airbus Helicopters, formerly Eurocopter, is a division of Airbus Group, a global pioneer in aerospace and defense related services. Airbus Helicopters is the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer and employs more than 23,000 people worldwide. With 46 percent market share in civil and parapublic sectors, the company’s fleet in service includes some 12,000 helicopters operated by more than 3,000 customers in approximately 150 countries. Airbus Helicopters’ international presence is marked by its subsidiaries and participations in 21 countries, and its worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents. Airbus Helicopters’ range of civil and military helicopters is the world’s largest; its aircraft account for one third of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet. The company’s chief priority is to ensure the safe operation of its aircraft for the thousands of people who fly more than 3 million hours per year.

For more information please contact:

Airbus Helicopters celebrates 40 years as the all-in-one solution for UK helicopter industry

Farnborough, UK, 15 July 2014 – Airbus Helicopters UK is celebrating 40 years of operations in the United Kingdom, supporting its rotorcraft industry as a vital element of the economy, security and infrastructure.

With headquarters in Oxford, a base at Hawarden/Wales, a dedicated Oil & Gas Service Center in Aberdeen and a presence at customer operating locations across the UK and Ireland, Airbus Helicopters UK offers highly reactive, state-of-the-art support services for rotorcraft supplied by the parent company, Airbus Helicopters, along with commercial sales activity.

“During four decades in the UK, we’ve become the one-stop-shop solution for the helicopter needs of our customers, be it governmental agencies, operators or private individuals,” explained Markus Steinke, the Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters UK Ltd. “Our capabilities cover everything from design, development, customization, completion, flight testing and certification to technical support, maintenance, training and the supply of spares – for civil and military applications.”

Copyright Paul Cordwell

More than 450 Airbus Helicopters aircraft operate in the UK today, forming the largest portion of the United Kingdom’s overall rotorcraft fleet – with these helicopters flown by law enforcement agencies and emergency medical service providers, companies offering utility and off-shore airlift to oil and gas platforms, businesses and corporations, as well as UK Armed Forces.

As part of Airbus Helicopters UK’s in-country resources, its Maintenance Mission Control Center at Oxford offers highly efficient around-the-clock services for users that range from individual helicopter owners to large fleet operators.

Airbus Helicopters UK also is prime contractor for the Royal Air Force’s Puma Mk2 upgrade program, which is extending the operating life and enhancing mission capabilities for this military service’s multi-role helicopter fleet – which is supported by the company as well.

About Airbus Helicopters UK
Airbus Helicopters UK Limited – Britain’s civil helicopter hub – and its predecessors have been present and highly active in the United Kingdom for 40 years, dominating the civil rotary-wing sector. Its contribution to the aerospace sector of the national economy includes the development of police aviation with a 75 percent market share, a 70 percent share of the air ambulance sector, and well over 50 percent of the offshore oil and gas market.

Airbus Helicopters UK Limited is headquartered in Oxford, with additional bases in Dublin (Ireland), Belfast (Northern Ireland), Hawarden (Wales) and Aberdeen (Scotland) and provides the full range of products and services for the rotary-wing sector, including prime contractor for the RAF Puma Mk2 upgrade and support programmes.

Some 450 Airbus helicopters form the largest part of the UK's helicopter fleet and the backbone of vital national infrastructure, with approximately 100 helicopters serving the UK Ministry of Defence for transport, training and high end operational missions. To date, Airbus Helicopters UK Limited has exported high technology helicopter solutions to 23 nations worldwide. The Airbus group employs more than 1500 people across the British Isles.

About Airbus Helicopters
Airbus Helicopters, formerly Eurocopter, is a division of Airbus Group, a global pioneer in aerospace and defense related services. Airbus Helicopters is the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer and employs more than 23,000 people worldwide. With 46 percent market share in civil and parapublic sectors, the company’s fleet in service includes some 12,000 helicopters operated by more than 3,000 customers in approximately 150 countries. Airbus Helicopters’ international presence is marked by its subsidiaries and participations in 21 countries, and its worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents. Airbus Helicopters’ range of civil and military helicopters is the world’s largest; its aircraft account for one third of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet. The company’s chief priority is to ensure the safe operation of its aircraft for the thousands of people who fly more than 3 million hours per year.

For more information please contact: