Eurocopter displays a Wide Range of Helicopters at the First Singapore Airshow

The extensive product display illustrates the sales breakthrough in various market segments last year by Eurocopter South East Asia, its Singaporean subsidiary

Eurocopter and its Singaporean subsidiary Eurocopter South East Asia (ESEA) are extremely proud to have been part and parcel of Singapore Airshow during the past 26 years and to participate in today’s brand new aerospace and defence event at a brand new show site.

An array of multipurpose helicopters for all market segments on stand and static display: EC120B Training, Ecureuil AS350BA Corporate, EC135 VIP, EC145 EMS, Dauphin AS365N3 Corporate, Dauphin EC155 Offshore, NH90TTH

Today, helicopters are increasingly being considered as indispensable tools for a variety of missions ranging from VIP/Corporate transport, Offshore operations, Emergency Medical Service (EMS) to Troop Transport etc.

The growing affluence and the modern-day race against time have rendered Corporate executives all over the world (including Asia) to turn to the helicopter as a vital complement to business jets and yachts, for travel in style and comfort. Over the last 3 years, Eurocopter has been experiencing 30% increase in sales every year for VIP/Corporate helicopters. In Asia, this market segment shows potential growth in countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan etc. The EC135 l’Helicoptere par Hermès launched in October 2007 is further proof of Eurocopter’s desire and will to fuse technology and design as well as to bring corporate travel to greater heights.

Eurocopter is also known as the reference in providing life-saving helicopters for Emergency Medical Service (EMS). Designed by doctors for doctors, Eurocopter helicopters are equipped with accessible and ergonomic cabins in order to facilitate easy embarkation / disembarkation as well as medical aid onboard. In Thailand, Bangkok Hospital Medical Centre (comprising of 4 hospitals) has formed in late 2007, a joint venture with Bangkok Dusit Medical Services to provide the first helicopter emergency service in the country as well as in the region. The selected helicopter is none other than the EC145 EMS version, which would be equipped to provide on-site medical stabilisation and treatment.

Scarcity of natural resources and increasing oil prices in recent years has also led to extensive exploration and extraction in remote areas, thus increasing the need for helicopters in the Oil and Gas sector. Eurocopter helicopters are robust and reliable, equipped with the most modern avionics/mission systems. In addition to a high rate of availability (as high as 95% in the North Sea), Eurocopter helicopters also have a proven and optimized life cycle cost, which is an asset considering the high frequency of offshore operations. In Asia, the oil and gas market segment is currently expanding rapidly. 2 examples of ESEA’s most significant deals are namely, the 6 EC155 Dauphins signed with IAT (Indonesia Air Transport) and that of the 2 EC225 by Southern Service Flight Corporation (SSFC) in 2007.

In terms of the military market segment, the NH90 is the world’s most advanced multi-role helicopter in the ten-tonne class. It is capable of carrying two pilots and 20 fully-equipped combat troops up to 900km at speeds of up to 300km/h. Destined to “rejuvenate” the tactical transport and anti-submarine combat fleets, the programme was jointly launched by four countries, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, which were subsequently joined by Portugal and Belgium. A winner of 10 out of 12 export campaigns, the NH90 registers a number of firm orders to 507 helicopters. Its customers include Sweden, Finland, Norway, Greece, the Sultanate of Oman, Australia, New Zealand and Spain. On 18 December 2007, the first 2 MRH90 (the Australian variant of the NH90) were delivered on-time to the Australian Armed Forces in Brisbane.

Eurocopter South East Asia (ESEA) celebrates its 30th anniversary with an outstanding sales record – more than 300 aircraft delivered in the past 30 years, 100% increase in turnover in 2007 with a sustained civil market share of 80% in South East Asia

In alignment with Eurocopter Group’s all-time high in sales results last year, Eurocopter South East Asia concluded 2007 with a two-fold increase in turnover to reach 110 M Euros compared to the year before.

A total of 27 helicopters were sold last year, which contributed to 70% of the turnover; with the remaining 30% coming from customer support activities: Sale of Spare Parts, R&O, Engineering & Technical Support services ,as well as Pilot and Technician training.

In terms of helicopter types, the breakdown of the 27 helicopters ordered is as follows:

Amongst the various different countries within ESEA’s commercial zone, Indonesia was the country with the highest number of orders (45%), where there was a major breakthrough in the Oil and Gas as well as in the Corporate sector. The Philippines follows with Thailand and Vietnam hot on its heels. Significant market segment breakthroughs in Thailand and Vietnam include the first EC145 EMS and the first EC225 Offshore.

In terms of customer support activity, ESEA launched a “go-live of global offer products” with the delocalisation of Eurocopter maintenance and technical support staff in Taiwan, Indonesia and Thailand. Customers in these countries thus benefit from a highly skilled team with an enhanced geographical proximity.

ESEA’s training arm, Singapore Helicopter Training Centre (SHTC) which entered into operation last year has also allowed the subsidiary to reinforce its training services. SHTC is equipped with 10 pilot and technician instructors, 2 helicopters (AS350BA and EC120B which is currently being used to train RSAF cadet pilots) as well as an EC120 FTD simulator. SHTC delivers a whole range of training courses ranging from type-rating, refresher, to specific training courses.

In order to keep up with the increased sales, customer support and training activity in the region, ESEA increased the number of employees by 30% from 130 to 170 in 2007. In 2010, ESEA also intends to move the new Aeronautics hub of Singapore at Seletar Airport where brand new premises with a state-of-the-art hangar awaits the subsidiary in order to allow it to better cater to its customers needs and to sustain its fast development.

In short, ESEA aims to capitalise on its current success and reinforce its local implantation in line with Eurocopter’s global strategy as a multi-local player.

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. 14,000 people. In 2007, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer in the civil and parapublic market, with a turnover exceeding 4 billion Euros, orders for 802 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 17 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 140 countries. Eurocopter offers the largest civil and military helicopter range in the world.

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