Henan New Continental Business Aviation of China will acquire two VIP passenger transport helicopters from Eurocopter to commence its chartering business – an exclusively designed EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style, which will also be the first such model to be sold in Asia; as well as an AS350 B3e from the Ecureuil family.

Tianjin, China, 05 September 2013

These two rotorcraft will initiate Henan New Continental’s planned creation of a helicopter fleet in meeting growing VIP and business passenger airlift demand in China.

“While VIP helicopter transportation in China is relatively young, the customers’ needs are maturing rapidly,” explained Zhou Suiji, the Chairman of Henan New Continental Business Aviation. “With the EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style helicopter and the AS350 B3e, we will be able to meet and exceed their expectations of comfort and exclusivity.”

This latest Chinese order was announced today during the China Helicopter Exposition in Tianjin. The EC145 configured in the “Mercedes-Benz Style” edition will be the first such model to be acquired in Asia, with four other designer units having been delivered in the U.S. and Europe. Eurocopter will deliver the AS350 B3e at year-end, followed by the EC145 in mid-2014.

“We welcome Henan New Continental into the Eurocopter family, and pledge the full backing of our in-country support resources,” said Eurocopter China CEO Norbert Ducrot. “This operator will be well positioned to serve the rapidly-growing Chinese market, where Eurocopter helicopters already are increasingly used for the VIP and business segment, in commercial and utility missions, as well as by the public service sector.”

Eurocopter’s twin-engine EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style is a project undertaken in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studio in Como, Italy. Tailored for high-end corporate, executive and private operations, it has a versatile and easily transformable cabin suitable for a broad range of travels, including executive transportation, family voyages, as well as leisure and sport trips. Its interior design is inspired by the Mercedes-Benz range of premium vehicles, featuring high quality materials, elegant woods and ambient cabin lighting, along with multi-function boxes.

The AS350 B3e is Eurocopter’s latest version of the company’s popular single-engine workhorse Ecureuil rotorcraft product line, which has a wide cabin, high cruise speed and low vibration levels for passengers. Its B3e variant incorporates a more powerful Turbomeca Arriel 2D engine with a longer life cycle and lower maintenance costs, next-generation FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control), an improved interior design and tail rotor modifications for additional ease of piloting.