AS350B3e, the latest version of Eurocopter’s successful Ecureuil family, to enter the UK market

The AS350B3e, the newest version of Eurocopter’s successful Ecureuil family, is the latest addition to the UK’s important single engine helicopter fleet in Private/Business Aviation

Oxford, UK, 10-4-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — After its entry into service in September 2011, the AS350B3e, the latest version of the powerful 7 seat, 2,3 ton AS350 single engine helicopter family was delivered for the first time to a UK customer, which also marks a new dawn in the Private/Corporate market in the UK.

“We are very proud to add Loxwood Holdings and the new AS350Be to our Eurocopter family in the UK”, says Markus Steinke, Managing Director of Eurocopter UK Limited.” We are mindful that our customers have a wide choice of single helicopters these days, but we are also aware that besides the pure product, the scope, quality and proximity of through life support has become a more important issue, than in the past, for these customers – and with the capability of Britain’s Civil Helicopter Hub here at Oxford we offer a comprehensive solution, unmatched by any other OEM.”

The full range of support and service solutions is available at Eurocopter UK’s facilities at Oxford, supplemented by a network of regional engineers and a fleet of 20 Eurocopter mobile units covering the country, allowing for highest reactivity and state of the art customer service.

“Having owned other new helicopters before, but never a Eurocopter product, I did a lot of personal research and benchmarking before contacting Eurocopter UK at Oxford. Since then I am delighted with the whole experience; the staff I have been involved with, the product, the passion from their people here and back in France, the full, locally available OEM support which is quite unique, compared to what I have been facing in the past says Mr. Holland of Loxwood Holdings.

The AS350 B3e is the latest member of the AS350 high-performance family, which outclasses all other single-engine helicopters for performance, versatility, safety and competitive acquisition and maintenance costs. It excels in hot conditions and very high altitudes, and broke records when a standard production aircraft landed on the top of Mount Everest in 2005.

Today, around 5,350 Ecureuils have been delivered in 130 countries to some 1,600 operators. These aircraft have accumulated close to 25 million flight hours.

About Eurocopter UK Ltd.

Eurocopter UK Ltd, Britain’s Civil Helicopter Hub, and its predecessors have been present and highly active in the United Kingdom for over 30 years, dominating the civil rotary wing(rw) sector. Its contribution to the aerospace sector of the national economy includes the development of police aviation leading to a 75% market share, air ambulances (70% share), and well over 50% of the offshore oil and gas market. Eurocopter UK Ltd 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 rw sector, including prime contractor for the RAF Puma Mk2 programme. Some 450 Eurocopter helicopters form the largest part of the UK’s helicopter fleet and the backbone of vital national infrastructure such as 100 helicopters serving the UK Ministry of Defence for transport, training and high end operational missions. Eurocopter enjoys a reputation for innovation, high quality and a strong customer service ethos. To date, Eurocopter UK Ltd has exported helicopter High-Tech solutions to 23 nations on all continents. The Eurocopter group employs more than 1600 people across the British Isles.

About Eurocopter

Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace and defense-related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approximately 22,000 people. In 2012, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 6.3 billion Euros, orders for 469 new helicopters and a 38 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Overall, the Group’s helicopters account for 33 percent of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet. Eurocopter’s strong international presence is ensured by its subsidiaries and participations in 21 countries. Eurocopter’s worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents supports more than 2,900 customers. There are currently more than 11,780 Eurocopter helicopters in service in 148 countries. Eurocopter offers the most comprehensive civil and military helicopter range in the world and is fully committed to safety as the most important aspect of its business.

For more information, please contact:

Stéphane CHERY
Head of International Media Relations
Eurocopter

Tel.:+33 4 42 85 60 51
Fax:+33 4 42 85 89 70
Pascale FLEURY
Media Relations France, Eastern and Central Europe, Middle East & Africa
Eurocopter

Tel.:+33 4 42 85 62 38
Fax:+33 4 42 85 89 70
Cell:+33 6 32 54 05 02
Gloria ILLAS
Media Relations Latin America & Southern Europe
Eurocopter

Tel.:+33 4 42 85 58 89
Fax:+33 4 42 85 89 70
Christoph MÜLLER
Head of Communications, Eurocopter Germany
Eurocopter

Tel.:+49 906 71 57 39
Fax:+49 906 71 39 39
Priscilla YIP
External Communications Asia Pacific
Eurocopter

Tel.:+ 65 6 59 27 217
Fax:+ 65 6 65 90 872
Lynn SADLER

Tel.:+44 (0) 18 65 85 24 15

AS350 B3e in flight (Ref. CDPH-2680 219, © Copyright Eurocopter, Patrick Penna).