Airbus, the French aircraft manufacturer, is in the final stages of assessing eight potential sites for establishing its H125 helicopter final assembly line in India, with plans to announce the selected location soon, according to a report by PTI on Sunday, July 21.

Olivier Michalon, Executive Vice President of Global Business at Airbus Helicopters, indicated that the new facility will become the fourth Final Assembly Line (FAL) for the H125 helicopters globally. It is expected to initially produce up to 10 single-engine helicopters annually, with provisions for scaling up production to meet rising market demand.

The inauguration of the assembly line is slated for October or November this year, with operations scheduled to commence in 2026. Deliveries are projected to start by the end of 2026.

The H125 helicopter, renowned as the bestselling model in South Asia and India, has a capacity of carrying up to six passengers. Airbus anticipates the demand for the H125 series to reach 500 units over the next two decades.

Sunny Guglani, Head of Airbus Helicopters India and South Asia, highlighted the strategic intent to offer “Make in India solutions” to support locally built helicopters. The base model of the H125 helicopter is estimated to cost around 3.2 million euros.

In addition to the H125 FAL, Airbus is concurrently setting up a Final Assembly Line for its C295 aircraft in Vadodara, Gujarat. Once operational, the H125 helicopters in India will undergo comprehensive assembly processes including component integration, avionics installation, and system integration.

According to Airbus, the Indian and South Asian regions currently operate approximately 350 civil and parapublic helicopters, out of which nearly 100 are Airbus helicopters, predominantly from the H125 and H130 series.

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