Trending Topics

Eurocopter Hands Over New EC135 to West Midlands Police Air Support Unit

A brand new EC135 P2i was handed over to Assistant Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Sharon Rowe, on the EADS/Eurocopter booth No. G12 in Hall 4 at the Farnborough International Air Show. The order for this aircraft had been placed in September 2009.

Markus Steinke, Managing Director of Eurocopter UK Ltd., stated, “I am very proud that West Midlands Police has again opted for the EC135, having had its former helicopter destroyed by arson last year. We had been able to deliver a police-configured interim EC135 right after the incident to keep our customer flying, and are pleased to hand over the new one today, less than one year after the order was signed. Our products and services have become the backbone of UK air support since many decades and we are ready to accompany the evolutions of our customers’ needs.”

The EC135 is the prime choice of UK police air support units. It has become an outstanding product created in an intensive dialogue with the end user and based on Eurocopter’s
- long experience in police mission system design and integration
- deep understanding of the helicopter platform
- many years of in-service feedback.

Eurocopter products represent 75% of the UK police helicopter fleet in service and have proven to be the favourite solutions for police air support all across Europe and worldwide. In 2010, a total of six police helicopters are being delivered by Eurocopter UK to police services in the British Isles.

In order to optimize its service to the UK police forces, Eurocopter UK has introduced a new maintenance concept, separating the high-time, high-utilisation, high-tech police helicopters from the VIP/corporate maintenance section in the company. Fast turn-around times and optimal, specialized service for the individual needs of each customer group are the aim of this new arrangement. Eurocopter UK also provides full PbH and engines fleet management to the air support units.

About Eurocopter UK Ltd.
Through its fully-owned subsidiary, Eurocopter UK Ltd., headquartered in Oxford and with additional bases in Dublin (Ireland), Belfast (Northern Ireland), Hawarden (Wales) and Aberdeen (Scotland), Eurocopter has a strong industrial footprint in the UK and enjoys a reputation for innovation, high quality and a strong customer service ethos. Having achieved in the last 30 years an exemplary performance in the customization, distribution and support of Eurocopter products for civil and public service customers, Eurocopter UK also provides state of the art services to the Oil & Gas Industry and the UK armed forces. The MoD utilises 100 Eurocopter helicopters for transport, training and special forces missions and has recently awarded the Puma Upgrade Programme to Eurocopter UK Ltd. With over 450 helicopters in service in the British Isles, Eurocopter is the leading supplier of helicopters to the United Kingdom.

About Eurocopter
Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a Division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace, defense 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 18 subsidiaries on five continents, along with a dense network of distributors, certified agents and maintenance centers. 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.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU