Airbus' heavy twin-engine H215 helicopter has started its maiden demonstration tour in China, eyeing the burgeoning aviation market, Airbus China said Tuesday.
The H215 helicopter is a member of the world-renowned Super Puma helicopter family, which includes the H225 and H215.
It will demonstrate its multi-mission capabilities for firefighting, power line monitoring, law enforcement, and passenger transportation during the debut demonstration tour.
"Airbus foresee great potential for this helicopter in the Chinese market," said Marie Agnes Veve, general manager of Airbus Helicopters China, adding that the H215 perfectly meets China's growing demand for heavy helicopters.
The H215 is a multipurpose helicopter, combining advanced avionics and a reliable platform for rugged multi-mission capabilities. It can provide precision and automatic hover stability in harshest operating conditions.
The two-week-long tour starts from July 4 in southern China's Zhuhai, and the H215 will then travel to the cities of Shenzhen and Lijiang.
It will cover more than 2,000 kilometers across China, attesting in real time to its long range capabilities, speed, and large useful payload.
Local customers will be invited on-board the helicopter to experience its performance and advanced technologies.
China has seen a surging demand in helicopters, which can serve multiple missions such as the Emergency Medical Services (EMS), law enforcement, fire fighting, and tourism. By the end of 2016, the country's civil helicopter fleet was around 800.
Airbus Helicopters is the leader in the civil turbine helicopter market in China with a market share of about 40 percent. In 2016, China became its largest civil market in terms of annual bookings.
In May 2017, Airbus Helicopters broke ground on its H135 Final Assembly Line (FAL) in east China's Qingdao. It became the first Western helicopter manufacturer to establish a FAL in China.
