Hyderabad: Eurocopter, the world’s number one manufacturer of helicopters and Pawan Hans Helicopters, today announce the purchase of seven new Dauphin AS 365 N3 helicopters by Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited. Mrs. Marie-Agnes Veve, Head of Eurocopter activities in India and Mr. Rainer Farid, VP Sales South Asia, Eurocopter presented a memento to Mr. R.K. Tyagi, Chairman & Managing Director, Pawan Hans commemorating the occasion in the presence of the Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Paful Patel and the French Ambassador, his Excellency Mr. J. Bonnafont and the French official delegation.

“Being India’s leading helicopter operator, it is our goal to provide immaculate service to all our clients. Our experience with the Dauphin fleet so far has been very promising and we are confident that the new fleet will meet the quality standards that are hallmark for PHHL. “– said Mr. R. K. Tyagi, emphasizing the long association between Eurocopter and Pawan Hans.

With this new purchase, Pawan Hans expands its fleet to 33 Dauphins, thereby, reconfirming its position as biggest fleet operator of Eurocopter helicopters in India and largest Dauphin offshore operator in the world.  Pawan Hans started operating Dauphin helicopters in India in 1986. Since then, Pawan Hans has logged over 340 142 flying hours with its fleet and over 1.58 Million landings. Pawan Hans’ fleet of helicopters is used for transportation of personnel to offshore platforms, for shuttle flights between drill barges and for transport of state officials and VIPs. It also provides charter services for tourists.

Speaking on the occasion, Mrs. Marie-Agnes Veve said “ One thing which is constant all across the world is the confidence that Dauphin operators have in the reliability of the helicopter. We cherish this trust and always strive to provide value added services to our customers. In researching future technologies, our goal is to increase safety, enhance performance and reduce operating costs while improving passenger comfort and making our helicopters more environmental friendly.We share a very special relationship with Pawan Hans for 24 years and have also decided to team-up and create a Joint Venture for the MRO and training activities, implementing “ a Dauphin excellence center” in India.”

On Eurocopter’s plans for India, Mrs. Veve added, “The Indian aviation industry is witnessing tremendous growth.  The aviation sector has become more receptive to new models and state of the art technology. State governments, commercial helicopter operators and leading corporates are now using our helicopters. We are receiving an increasing number of inquiries from various business houses. This is very encouraging”.

About Eurocopter

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 18 subsidiaries 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.