Airbus Helicopters has announced today that Civil Aviation Administration of China has certified the H175 helicopter.  We note that this comes over four years after they announced the sale of two H175s to China Rescue, a customer who has since ordered six Leonardo AW189s, the competitor supermedium to the Airbus H175.

The H175 started out as a joint project between the French arm of Airbus Helicopters and Avicopter, and thus far only one prototype (under the model name AC352) has been built in China.  [We have often wondered whether the registration of this aircraft B-00ZE means anything in China, with “booze” being a slang term in English for alcohol]  The AC352 variant is powered by the WZ16 engine, built under licence from Safran Helicopter Engines, who refer to it as the Ardiden 3C.  French-built H175s are powered by the Pratt & Whitney PT6C-67E

Airbus Helicopters (then as Eurocopter) launched the H175 (EC175) at Heli-Expo 2008, with the OEM citing 111 intentions to purchase from 13 customers in 11 countries at that time.  Additionally, the company expected a market of 800-1000 examples within 20 years, a figure which hindsight shows to be significantly over-optimistic.  First deliveries were made in December 2014 to NHV, and market intelligence company Parapex Media currently reports just 51 delivered to customers, all in civil or governmental roles.

Airbus is currently touting the not-yet-produced H175M military variant to the Royal Air Force for their NMH (New Military Helicopter) program to replace the Puma and other helicopter platforms.

Today’s Airbus press release is as follows:-

Airbus Helicopters has received certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for the H175 helicopter.

This certification will allow H175 deliveries to begin in China, one of the most demanding markets worldwide for civil helicopters with a growing need for the super-medium segment. Four H175s will be delivered to Chinese customers in 2023.

“The Chinese certification of the H175 is another great achievement in the continued successful partnership between Airbus Helicopters and the Chinese helicopter industry,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters.

“The H175’s advanced state-of-the art performances and reliability will serve to provide the people of China with the ability to perform critical life-saving missions even in the most severe conditions,” he added.”

To sustain the helicopter market growth in China, Airbus Helicopters is committed to jointly work with the Chinese industry to develop the Chinese civil market with products such as the H175, aiming to serve the interests of the Chinese people and the economy. In service since 2015, Airbus’ H175 belongs to the super-medium class of helicopters. Combining long-range with advanced quality of flight, it provides the best solution for a number of missions, including offshore crew change, SAR, all public services, and private and business aviation. The 53 H175s currently in service have accumulated over 185,000 flight hours in 13 countries.