French aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, has shortlisted eight locations in India for the establishment of its last H125 helicopter production line.
The facility’s ceremony is anticipated to take place later this year.
According to Airbus officials, the facility will initially build up to 10 helicopters annually and the capacity will be ramped up depending on market demand. This will be the fourth Final Assembly Line (FAL) for the single-engine H125.
The ground-breaking ceremony for the FAL is slated for October or November of this year, and the facility will be operational in 2026, with delivery beginning near the end of that year.
“India is the market of the future for helicopters… at present, the market is extremely embryonic, it is very small compared to what the potential could be,” said Olivier Michalon, Executive Vice President Global Business of Airbus Helicopters as quoted by Business Standard.
“We have identified eight sites which we are currently assessing. We are still in the final assessment stage. We should be in a position to announce it shortly. We want to be attractive and in an ecosystem that is best suited for industrial activities, logistics, employees and of course, regulations,” Michalon stated during a briefing at Marignane, France as per reports. Meanwhile, Airbus Helicopters is headquartered in Marignane.
Airbus’s H125 helicopter is the best-selling model in India and South Asia. Airbus estimates that the demand for H125 helicopters in India and adjacent countries will be 500 during the next two decades. Michalon, Executive Vice President Global Business of Airbus Helicopters emphasised that while 10 may not seem like much, it might be 20, 30, or 50 in other years, depending on market demand.
Airbus thought that the H125 helicopter would follow in the footsteps of the narrow-body A320 aircraft’s success. “H125 is our A320,” Michalon said according to report.
Furthermore, six passengers can travel in an H125. Moreover, in Vadodara, Gujarat, Airbus is preparing the FAL for the C295 plane.
In South Asia (including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives), there are about 350 civil and parapublic helicopters operating. Airbus estimates that less than 250 of them are in operational service in India.
There are around one hundred Airbus helicopters in India, mostly H125 and 130 models. The number of H125 helicopters in operation worldwide exceeds 7,200.
According to a company official, the base model of an H125 helicopter might cost roughly 3.2 million euros. Helicopters are utilised in India for tourism, pilgrimage, medical services, the energy sector, and private businesses.
Once established in India, the FAL for H125 helicopters will integrate the key component assemblies, avionics, and mission systems, as well as install electrical harnesses, hydraulic circuits, flight controls, dynamic components, fuel system, and engine.
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