Eurocopter Signs Agreement For Maintenance Company In China

NEWSROOM


Eurocopter Signs Agreement For Maintenance Company In China By Jim Douglas

		November 18, 2010 - A five-year development plan for the expansion of capabilities at COHC General Aviation Maintenance & Engineering Company in China has been signed by Eurocopter and the two other shareholders of this jointly-owned operation, Citic Offshore Helicopter and Samwell Aviation. The Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) is to take effect in 2011, and will drive the expansion of CGAMEC?s helicopter maintenance activities for the benefit of Eurocopter customers and operators in China. The accord was signed at Airshow China 2010 in Zhuhai by Lutz Bertling, President and CEO of Eurocopter; COHC Chairman BI Wei; and Samwell Aviation President LI Jiangnan. These companies hold CGAMEC shareholdings of 34 percent, 51 percent and 15 percent, respectively.

Key areas of CGAMEC?s future evolution will include enhanced capabilities for its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services; the assembly and painting of helicopters from kits; along with the repair of rotor blades, avionics and mechanical components. This expanded competence will apply to all Eurocopter products, from the light single-engine EC120 to heavy twin-engine helicopters such as the Super Puma AS332 and EC225. ?The signature of this development plan consolidates Eurocopter?s position as an all-around player in the Chinese aviation industry,? said Eurocopter President & CEO Bertling. ?It shows our determination to work closely with local partners and to involve ourselves in the customer support activities for our helicopters operating in China. This also builds on our company?s 40-year presence in the country, which includes more than three decades of cooperation with Chinese industry ? a relationship that is increasingly dynamic and beneficial for all participants.? The Shenzhen-based CGAMEC was created in 2001, and its current activity is focused on MRO services for helicopters and their components. With a staff of 45 employees today, CGAMEC has the status of a Eurocopter-approved maintenance centre. It is the only maintenance facility in China that is certified for helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul activities by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The further extension of CGAMEC?s helicopter maintenance activities is proof of our technical know-how, and it will allow us to bring our technological expertise to international standards,? added BI Wei of COHC. Signature of this development plan follows Eurocopter?s increase of its shareholding in CGAMEC from 21 per cent to a new level of 34 per cent last year.

Eurocopter China was created in December 2006, Eurocopter China is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eurocopter Group, responsible for sales and customer support activities for the company?s entire range of products. In 2009, Eurocopter China achieved a turnover of 24 million Euros and a market share of 41%. With over 40 years of presence and 30 years of experience in industrial cooperation in China, more than 150 Eurocopter helicopters have been sold in the country. In order to provide quality service in proximity to Chinese operators, Eurocopter China has established a multi-based organization in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong staffed with around 35 employees.

		Eurocopter was 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 2009, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world?s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer in the civil and parapublic market, with a turnover of 4.6 billion Euros, orders for 344 new helicopters, and a 52 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 25 subsidiaries and participations on five continents, along with a dense network of distributors, certified agents and maintenance centres. More than 10,500 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. Other News Stories Air Malta Denies It Is Planning To Dismiss 1000 Employees Sikorsky Helicopters Flying Strong In China Japanese Airline Executives Indicted On Conspiracy To Fix Air Cargo Rates Two Boeing 787 Dreamliners ZA001 And ZA005 To Return To Seattle Airline Employment Down 0.6 Percent Airforwarders Called On Congress To Secure Air Cargo Flight Crews And Public Not In Support Of Backscatter Full Body Scanning Funding Committed For New O?Hare South Air Traffic Control Tower Black Hawk Helicopter Takes Historic First Flight In Poland Airbus CEO Joins Parachutists In Jump From A400M SkyTerra 1 Satellite Sends 1st Signals From Space TSA Employees Move Closer To Union Representation Florida Tech And FIT Aviation Pilots Killed In Plane Crash Unique Vacations Fined For Violating DOT Price Advertising Rules FTI Review Panel Report Out On FAA Telecommunications Outage FBI Reports Cargo Theft A Growing Multi Billion Dollar Problem Lockheed Martin Delivers Key GPS III Test Hardware Ahead of Schedule FAA Address Aging Commercial Aircraft In Finalized Rule Bombardier To Participate In Airshow China 2010 Jeppesen Introduces Cessna 172 Aircraft Flight Training Solution UPS Appoints Romaine Seguin As President Of UPS Americas LAN Selects GE To Develop RNP Navigation At Five Airports Colton Harris-Moore Indicted On Aircraft Theft, Flying Without Airman?s Certificate