Rotor - Eurocopter

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AROUND THE WORLD
CHINA
Eurocopter Eu p China:
Business Bu is Booming!
Eurocopter China has been experiencing sensational growth, with revenues doubling
on average each year. The numbers speak for themselves: Three million euros
in 2007, six million in 2008, and a target figure of more than fifteen million in 2009.
Eurocopter China’s tremendous success
was perfectly illustrated in mid-
July when the first two Eurocopter
helicopters sold directly by the subsidiary
were delivered in China. One AS350 B3
Ecureuil was delivered to South Electricity
Power Grid China (SEPGC), and the second
ANOTHER CONTRACT
WITH THE MOT
On August 26, 2009, Eurocopter signed
a contract with China’s Ministry Of Transport
(MOT) for the purchase of two additional EC225s.
The agreement includes an option on four more
helicopters to be exercised before the end
of 2011. The two helicopters are slated for
delivery in 2011, and will be operated by China
Rescue & Salvage (CRS), which performs
emergency services under the direction
of the MOT. They will join the current CRS
fleet of ten helicopters and two airplanes.
ROTOR JOURNAL - NO. 83 - OCTOBER/ NOVEMBER 2009
RTICLE: MONIQUE COLONGES
to Allyway/CGAC, which placed an order in
June 2008 for five AS350 B3s. This is the
first time that an Ecureuil has been introduced
on Chinese soil. The new helicopters
will be used for maintenance work on highvoltage
power lines.
In mid-May, the Guangzhou Police signed
a contract for an EC225—the first ever to
be sold in China, and the first EC225 in
the world to be operated by a law enforcement
agency. It is scheduled for delivery
in September 2010. Before making the
purchase, the Guangzhou Police paid a
visit to the maintenance center COHC
GAMEC (General Aviation Maintenance &
Engineering Co., Ltd) to perform an inspection
on an EC135 with the assistance of
technicians from Eurocopter South East
Asia and the Shanghai Public Security
Bureau. The EC135 passed the inspection
with flying colors. Just a month earlier, the
bureau had officially inaugurated its own
© DR
helicopter squadron (two EC135s and one
EC155) at a ceremony attended by the
mayor of Shanghai.
Eurocopter China has also been very busy
in the service sector. In early June, the subsidiary
opened a branch in Hong Kong near
Eurocopter’s Customer Service Center Asia-
Pacific, which was inaugurated on February
18, 2009, and the Group’s logistics platform.
Eurocopter China has also qualified
two technicians to perform maintenance on
the EC120 in order to expand its technical
support capacity.
Eurocopter and Airbus are also very close to
reaching a partnership agreement covering
logistics activities for the distribution of spare
parts in China. Through this service contract,
the CAS/Airbus Customer Services structure
will be responsible for importing helicopter
spare parts to China. As these events illustrate,
Eurocopter is clearly committed to
improving customer satisfaction in China. ■
COHC GAMEC
In early July, Eurocopter upped
its stake to 34% in COHC GAMEC
(General Aviation Maintenance &
Engineering Co., Ltd) after purchasing
the shares held by Bristow. The new
entity, a long-standing maintenance
center for Eurocopter helicopters in
China, now has three shareholders:
COHC, Eurocopter and SAMWELL.