April 24, 2014

Coatesville, Pennsylvania – Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. announced today that Yunnan Jingcheng Group accepted delivery of the first S-76D™ aircraft that will operate in China. The aircraft is configured for transportation of corporate and government VIPs. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).
Sikorsky recently announced at the 2014 Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition that the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) had issued a validation type certificate for the S-76D™ aircraft, allowing Sikorsky to begin delivering the commercial helicopter to customers in China.

“After just finalizing the CAAC certification, we are excited that we were able to deliver an aircraft to one of our valued Chinese customers,” said Ryan McFeaters, General Manager, Sikorsky Aircraft – China. “We see opportunity for growth in the Chinese helicopter market, and the delivery of this aircraft symbolizes the continued success of Sikorsky products in China.”

Jingcheng also flies a Sikorsky S-92® helicopter for use in transporting corporate and government VIPs. In September 2013, a second S-92 aircraft was purchased with delivery expected in November 2015.

With the delivery of this aircraft, nearly 40 S-76® aircraft will operate in China. In China’s intermediate aircraft market segment (7,000 to 15,000 lbs gross weight), the S-76® occupies more than 35 percent (the highest) of the total.

In September 2013, Sikorsky Aircraft and Changhe Aircraft Industries Corp. signed an agreement for Changhe to produce S-76D™ commercial helicopter cabins for Sikorsky. Changhe serves as a second source for S-76D cabins, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2016 and production volumes based on market demand. Aero Vodochody in the Czech Republic also supplies the cabins.

The S-76D helicopter has quickly proven popular with customers, with a current backlog exceeding $650 million. Sikorsky has delivered more than 800 S-76 helicopters to customers globally since 1979, contributing daily to a growing 6.4-million-plus fleet flight hours total.

The S-76D helicopter’s baseline equipment includes powerful and efficient Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210S engines; an advanced THALES TopDeck ® integrated avionics system and four-axis autopilot; Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) incorporated into fleet monitoring and analysis; active vibration control; and all-composite, flaw-tolerant main rotor blades. A Rotor Ice Protection System (RIPS) for all-weather capability will be available as an option.