Airbus Helicopters began construction of a new factory in Brașov, Romania, for production of the new H215 heavy helicopter, the company said at a ceremony Tuesday.
The factory is set to be 10,000 square meters and will house the H215 production from procurement to after-sales, including design office activities. The facilities are planned to provide over 300 jobs in the long term.
At the ceremony held by Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, with Romanian Secretary of State Alexandru Nastase in attendance, the company set down the factory’s foundation stone.
Airbus also highlighted the facility’s assembly line will be able to produce up to 15 aircraft per year with the first roll out planned for 2017.
The H215 is a continuation of the former AS332 C1e/L1e rotorcraft. It is a twin-engine helicopter that combines advanced avionics and a platform for rugged multi-mission capabilities, Airbus said. Other features include long-range capabilities, a large payload, “very good” lifting performance in hot and high environments, EASA and FAA certification, and a glass cockpit with a 4-axis autopilot.
“The H215 is of strategic importance to Airbus Helicopters and will allow us to offer customers the best helicopter for the job, all with extremely competitive direct operating and maintenance costs. This expanded partnership with Romania, an important EU and NATO member, will ensure that our legacy twin-engine heavy helicopters are more economical than ever on current and emerging markets,” Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, said.
H125s are planned to come off the assembly line in a standard configuration but can support a list of optionals (“shopping list”) ready to be selected, Airbus said.
“This new concept will allow the aircraft to best meet customers’ expectations and serve a wide range of missions, providing a modern and cost-effective solution for markets such as utility, United Nations peacekeeping operations and logistic support missions,” the company said in a statement.
“This new 100 percent Airbus Helicopters industrial center is capitalizing on a successful history of aircraft heavy maintenance and complex upgrade programs in Romania and cooperation in the country that goes back more than 40 years,” Serge Durand, managing director of Airbus Helicopters Industries, said.
“The aim is to offer our customers a completely new and modern business concept by proposing a standardized equipment definition for rapid production times and cost-effective acquisition prices,” he added.