Airbus Helicopters UK Ltd. has appointed Colin James as Managing Director, effective first of August. Mr. James, who has been leading Airbus Helicopter’s Engineering Test Centre organisation in the company’s Donauworth and Marignane facilities, succeeds Markus Steinke to head up the UK branch of the world’s largest helicopter manufacturer.

Within Airbus Helicopter’s Research and Development directorate, Mr. James, aged 46, was responsible for engineering activities concerning Aircraft Vehicle & Systems Testing, Research and Development Simulation, Flight Training Devices, Systems Maintainability & Ground Support Products. He has been directly responsible for some of the company’s most noted flight and engineering test achievements in recent years.

A graduate of Staffordshire University, Mr. James started his professional career at Eurocopter in 1992 in the field of software development and integration on real time avionics systems. In 2001 he participated in the successful contract negotiations leading to the sale of the Tiger helicopter to Australia, and went on to manage the subsequent helicopter development contract, including the set-up of a local Australian Systems Support Centre. In 2006, he moved to France to manage the transnational engineering activities of Airbus Helicopters in the field of Communication and Navigation systems. Since 2009, he has been acting as Vice President of Engineering in his current perimeter, leading to his involvement in the development activities of all existing and new Airbus Helicopter aircraft types.

Mr. James’s background ensures that the UK is ideally placed to benefit from the most cutting-edge technology and know-how in the company, while his expertise and specialisation will help to continue improving Airbus Helicopter UK’s products and services.

Markus Steinke, who has led the UK helicopter business for the last six years, will now move to Airbus Group Headquarters in Toulouse as Vice President Post Merger Integration and Carve-Out Management. Airbus Helicopters thanks Mr. Steinke for his work, where he has consistently grown the business, successfully managed the integration of acquisitions, established Airbus Helicopters as domestic supplier to the UK MoD with the RAF Puma upgrade programme, and implemented innovative customer service solutions, such as the implementation of a dedicated Oil & Gas Service Center in Aberdeen. Mr. Steinke also extended Airbus Helicopters’ civil leadership into new mission segments, such as the first use of helicopters for windfarm maintenance in the UK, all the while maintaining the company’s level of dedication to customers, as during the 2012 Olympic games in London, where Airbus Helicopters delivered 100 percent availability in air support.

About Airbus Helicopters UK Ltd.
Airbus Helicopters UK Limited – Britain’s civil helicopter hub – and its predecessors have been present and highly active in the United Kingdom for 40 years, dominating the civil rotary-wing sector. Its contribution to the aerospace sector of the national economy includes the development of police aviation with a 75 percent market share, a 70 percent share of the air ambulance sector, and well over 50 percent of the offshore oil and gas market.

Airbus Helicopters UK Limited 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 rotary-wing sector, including prime contractor for the RAF Puma Mk2 upgrade and support programmes.

Some 450 Airbus helicopters form the largest part of the UK’s helicopter fleet and the backbone of vital national infrastructure, with approximately 100 helicopters serving the UK Ministry of Defence for transport, training and high end operational missions. To date, Airbus Helicopters UK Limited has exported high technology helicopter solutions to 23 nations worldwide. The Airbus group employs more than 1500 people across the British Isles.