Eurocopter delivered the first two EC155 B1 Dauphin helicopters to Citic Offshore Helicopter Co. Ltd. (COHC) in Shenzhen, China. The delivery is part of a contract signed on October 12, 2008 for a total of ten helicopters of this type. The handover ceremony was held in the presence of Mr. TANG Wanyuan, General Manager of COHC, Eurocopter’s biggest customer in China and Asia, Mr. Bruno Boulnois, CEO of Eurocopter China, Mr. Jean Raphael Peytregnet, Consul General of France in Guangzhou, as well as Mr. Alain Berder, French Trade Commissioner for South China.
The remaining 8 helicopters will be delivered between 2010 to 2013. These 10 EC155s will strengthen COHC’s fleet which already includes 21 Eurocopter helicopters, mainly from the Super Puma and Dauphin families.
COHC is the number one civil helicopter operator in China as well as one of the main oil and gas operators in Asia. The new helicopters will be used for offshore transport missions in the country. Since its arrival in the market in 2001, the EC155 Dauphin helicopter has established itself well in the oil and gas market. Indeed, at the end of 2008, more than 130 Dauphin aircraft were being operated in the offshore segment.
The EC155 Dauphin is a multi-role twin-engine helicopter in the 5 ton class with a seating capacity of 12-13 passengers. Equipped with a roomy cabin, excellent visibility, high speed and long endurance capabilities as well as low noise and vibration levels, the EC155 is used in China for a wide variety of missions ranging from corporate and offshore transport to law enforcement operations.
In the Chinese market for civil helicopters, Eurocopter is the leader with more than 40 percent market share, thanks to its long lasting and successful partnership with the Chinese industry and authorities. Today, around 350 helicopters from the Eurocopter family, including those manufactured under licensed production, are flying in the country.
Source: Eurocopter
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