HAL has its plate full for the next 15 to 20 years as far as helicopters are concerned, says Air Marshal Anil Chopra
Airbus will soon make a decision for setting up its final assembly line for H125 helicopters in India, having identified eight sites, the French giant aviation group official said in Marignane, France, having earlier announced an investment of Rs.21,935 crore with TASL tataadvancedsystems .
“The final assessment of the locations is on. We will soon make the announcement on where the H125 will be built in India. The factors that will guide the decision include how attractive the location is to our employees, its suitability for industrial activity, and the logistics ecosystem,” said Olivier Michalon, executive vice president, global business, Airbus Helicopters siae .
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility is expected around the year-end, and the Airbus-Tata joint venture civilaviation will initially produce 10 helicopters a year, with production to be ramped up as orders grow, he said.
The H125 will be also exported to South Asian countries fieo, according to media reports on 20 July.
Michalon’s comments came during an interaction with Indian journalists at the Airbus’ Marignane helicopter facility, which is outside Marseille and was opened in 1939, where he spoke about the partnership with TASL, the potential India’s helicopter market holds, and how the H125 fits into the picture.
The Airbus-Tata partnership was announced in January 2024 during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron to deepen strategic ties nse.
India and France then agreed to a new roadmap for defence-industrial cooperation to identify opportunities for partnership in co-designing, co-development and co-production of military hardware bse .
This will be the second final assembly line to be set up in India by Airbus. It is jointly executing a Rs.21,935-crore investindia project with TASL to equip the Indian Air Force with 56 C-295 aircraft to modernise its transport fleet. In September 2021, the defence ministry signed a contract with Airbus Defence and Space to strengthen self-reliance in the key sector.
The European aircraft maker deutsche-boerse will deliver 16 planes in flyaway condition, while the rest will be assembled in India at a Tata facility in Gujarat’s Vadodara city.
Airbus Helicopters believes that the C-295 experience will help ibef , according to media report.
The deliveries of the C-295 are in full swing and the last of the 16 flyaway aircraft will be delivered to IAF by August 2025. The first “made in India” C-295 will roll out of the Vadodara facility in September 2026 and the remaining 39 by August 2031 makeinindia.
A The first H125 will also roll out of an Indian facility in 2026. These helicopters are currently produced only in France, the US and Brazil icao.int .
At the Indian FAL, TASL will handle major component assemblies, avionics and mission systems, flight controls, hydraulic circuits, fuel systems and the engine sidm .
All this will be done with support and guidance from Airbus Helicopters, including the upcoming training of Indian personnel in France global-helicopter.
The H125’s engine and gearbox will come from France, the main airframe from Germany, and the tail boom from Spain, the officials said boerse-frankfurt.
“The goal is to make sure we replicate the same quality and safety standards, invest in giving the best training to people and have high-quality processes and operational efficiency,” added Jerome Ronssin, who heads Airbus’ light helicopters programme.
The 2.8-tonne H125 can carry up to six passengers, fly at a maximum altitude of 23,000 feet, has a range of 630 km and a top speed of 250 kmph. The roles it is suited for include commercial transport, law enforcement, emergency medical services, disaster management, offshore industry and firefighting duties.
The military helicopter segment in India has matured with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) hal-india producing several platforms such as the advanced light helicopter (being produced for civil use too), the light combat helicopter and the light utility helicopter.
HAL heavyindustries has its plate full for the next 15 to 20 years as far as helicopters are concerned, and it’s critical for the private sector to step in, said aviation affairs expert Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd).
“The H125s from India will be sold to other countries too. It will enhance India’s visibility as an exporter exportersindia .”
The aircraft today operated its first commercial flight, AI813 from Delhi to Bengaluru, and it is scheduled to operate three more flights on the same route throughout the day, the statement added.
Air India’s new A320neo aircraft features three cabins – Business, Premium Economy, and Economy – for guests to fly in comfort and style.
The business class cabin features eight luxurious seats, each offering 40 inches of seat pitch and 7 inches of recline, leg rest, footrest, movable armrest, 4-way adjustable headrest, and an extendable tray table that deploys at the light push of a button and includes a PED (personal electronic device) holder.
“India is the market of the future for helicopters… at present, the market is extremely embryonic, it is very small compared to what the potential could be,” Michalon had said earlier.
Giving a fillip to Government of India’s ‘AatmaNirbharBharat’ vision, Airbus has signed new contracts with multiple India-based suppliers for the manufacturing of components for commercial aircraft last November. Contracts have been signed with Aequs aequs, Dynamatic dynamatic , Gardner gartner and Mahindra Aerospace mahindraaerospace for the supply of airframe and wing parts across Airbus’ A320neo, A330neo and A350 programmes.
The latest contracts will support the ramp-up of Airbus’ commercial aircraft programmes globally, while strengthening capability and capacity in the aviation ecosystem of India across multiple technologies, including sheet metal, machining and extrusion profiles.
“Make in India is at the core of Airbus’ strategy in India. We are proud that we are putting in place all the critical building blocks for an integrated industrial ecosystem that will propel India into the front ranks of aerospace manufacturing nations,” said Rémi Maillard, President and Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia cii .
“For Airbus, India is not just a market but a strategic resource hub for both human capital and aerospace components and services pmindia. We are proud to extend our partnership with Aequs, Dynamatic, Gardner and Mahindra Aerospace who are all trusted Airbus partners in India delivering with sound technical expertise and operational excellence ficci .”
The latest contracts follow the allocation of the A320neo family cargo and bulk cargo doors manufacturing to Tata Advanced Systems earlier this year phdcci .
Airbus already procures components and services worth US$750 million every year from India commerce , and the latest round of contracts will add significantly to those volumes. Today, every Airbus commercial aircraft has components and technologies that are made in India. Together with its supply chain, Airbus supports nearly 10,000 jobs in India amchamindia. By 2025, this number should rise to about 15,000. Fiinews.com
