Eurocopter is highlighting the capabilities of its helicopter product line for the Russian and CIS market with the company’s participation at this week’s MAKS Aviasalon industry event, being held at Zhukovsky Airfield near Moscow.

Exhibiting with its EADS parent company (Hall F3, exhibit stand A1), Eurocopter is showing scale models of the single-engine AS350 B3, along with the twin-engine EC135 and EC145 – all of which have been ordered by customers in the region. Eurocopter’s overall share of the Russian and CIS marketplace for Western-supplied turbine-engine helicopters is more than 70 percent.

“We are in this market for the long-term, and our commitment is to meet the extreme operating requirements in Russia and the CIS with Eurocopter’s evolving helicopter product line,” stated Laurence Rigolini, CEO of the Eurocopter Vostok subsidiary. “Our strategy includes building cooperative relationships with key players to ensure the highest levels of support and flight safety for the growing Eurocopter fleet.”

Current Eurocopter customers include Russia’s UTair Aviation, which operates the AS350 B3, AS355N and BO105 helicopters, and will be expanding its fleet with the enhanced AS350 B3e version and the EC175 – for which it is a launch customer. In a cooperative effort that is aligned with Eurocopter’s safety and support goals, a training academy and certified maintenance center are being located at UTair’s engineering facility in Tyumen. The UTair maintenance center is one of three such Russian operations qualified by Eurocopter.

Another Eurocopter customer in Russia is Gazpromavia, which is receiving eight EC135 helicopters equipped with Russian-built mission avionics from Transas Aviation – a first for Eurocopter rotary-wing aircraft.

Three EC145s are operated by the Moscow Aviation Center, which uses the helicopters for medical evacuation and emergency missions.

About Eurocopter Vostok (www.eurocopter.ru)
Eurocopter Vostok, a 100% wholly-owned subsidiary of Eurocopter SAS, was created in 2006 to provide sales, customer support, and to implement fleet follow-up in Russia and the CIS. More than 140 Eurocopter helicopters currently are operating throughout Russia and the CIS countries – bringing the Eurocopter Group’s share of the Russian and CIS gas turbine market for Western turbine-engine helicopters to more than 70 percent.

About Eurocopter (www.eurocopter.com)
Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace, defense and related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approximately 17,500 people. In 2010, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s number one helicopter manufacturer in the civil and parapublic market with a turnover of 4.8 billion Euros, orders for 346 new helicopters and a 49 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Overall, the Group’s helicopters account for 33 percent of the total worldwide civil and parapublic fleet. Eurocopter’s strong worldwide presence is ensured by its 30 subsidiaries and participations on five continents, along with a dense network of distributors, certified agents and maintenance centers. There are currently 11,200 Eurocopter helicopters in service and some 2,900 customers in 147 countries. Eurocopter offers the largest civil and military helicopter range in the world.