Eurocopter Signs a Contract for Three Ecureuil B3s with the Indian Operator Pawan Hans

The European helicopter manufacturer Eurocopter is pleased to announce the signing of a 7 million euro contract for three AS350 B3 Ecureuils with Pawan Hans, India's leading helicopter operator in the civil and parapublic market. Thanks to the versatility of this single-engine helicopter, Pawan Hans will be able to operate it for variety of missions ranging from tourism, medical evacuation to surveillance operations. Pawan Hans currently operates 27 Dauphin helicopters–the largest Dauphin fleet in the world.

"We are delighted to continue our extremely successful partnership with Pawan Hans," declared Norbert Ducrot, Eurocopter Senior Vice-President for Sales and Customer Relations in Asia-Pacific. "This is an important contract for us as this is the first time Pawan Hans will be operating a single-engine Eurocopter helicopters. This contract proves once again that Eurocopter products are perfectly adapted to the Indian market."

The AS350 B3 Ecureuil is a light single-engine helicopter which can accommodate six people. It is perfectly adapted to extreme weather conditions: The freezing cold or scorching heat. The Ecureuil “rewrote” aeronautical history in May, 2005 when it landed on Mount Everest at an altitude of 8850 meters. This record perfectly demonstrates the exceptional qualities of the helicopter, in terms of technical performance, reliability, flexibility, speed and resistance. Nearly 4000 Ecureuil helicopters are currently in service throughout the world, including more than 800 AS350 B3s.

Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a Division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace, defence and related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approx. 15,600 people. In 2008, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer in the civil and parapublic market, with a turnover of 4.5 billion Euros, orders for 715 new helicopters, and a 53 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Overall, the Group’s products account for 30 percent of the total world helicopter fleet. Its strong worldwide presence is ensured by its 18 subsidiaries on five continents, along with a dense network of distributors, certified agents and maintenance centres. More than 10,000 Eurocopter helicopters are currently in service with over 2,800 customers in more than 140 countries. Eurocopter offers the largest civil and military helicopter range in the world.

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