Eurocopter delivered today two EC225s to Héli-Union, a leading provider of commercial air transportation services worldwide. The new helicopters are the first EC225s to join the company’s fleet of some 30 rotary-wing aircraft.

The two new EC225s are configured for offshore operations and will be deployed for transportation services for oil and gas companies.

“With its superior range and payload, the EC225 is tailored to perform the most demanding offshore missions and will enable us to meet our customers’ evolving needs”, said Patrick Molis, chairman, CEO and managing director of the Compagnie Nationale de Navigation (CNN), Héli-Union’s parent company. “These deliveries confirm the successful five-decade partnership between Héli-Union and Eurocopter. We are looking forward to the next chapter of our cooperation.”

Héli-Union’s current fleet of 30 helicopters includes a wide range of Eurocopter products, including the AS350, EC145, AS365, AS332 and now the new EC225. In addition, the company has also ordered four of Eurocopter’s brand-new EC175s, for which deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2013.

“Eurocopter and Héli-Union benefit from a long-standing cooperation, which allows for the optimal sharing of experiences and know-how,” said Eurocopter President and CEO Lutz Bertling. “Our technical and commercial teams stand ready to support Héli-Union’s growth into new regions around the world. By integrating the EC225 into your fleet, you will benefit from an aircraft that has become the reference for oil and gas missions, offering an outstanding performance for the challenging environments in which you operate.”

With its optimal safety and reliability, the 11-ton EC225 is tailored for the most demanding missions in all weather-conditions of oil and gas operators. It can accommodate up to 19 passengers for crew change flights and is designed to meet the highest safety standard levels, assured by its system redundancy, a highly capable automatic flight control system (AFCS) and its full de-icing capability.