Enhanced Airbus Helicopters support and services capability in China

Airbus Helicopters is commited to better support its Chinese customers at the 13th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in the city of Zhuhai in China’s southern Guangdong Province. On the opening day of the show, Airbus Helicopters signed a Strategic Cooperation Agreement and an HCare Smart Parts By Hour (PBH) contract with State Grid General Aviation Company (SGGAC), enhancing its support and services capability with more localised solutions. 

The  Strategic Cooperation Agreement will enable SGGAC to expand the activities of its existing MRO Centre, which became an official Airbus Helicopters customer service centre in October 2018, responsible for H125 aircraft maintenance. 

As one of Airbus Helicopters’ most important Chinese customers, SGGAC currently operates 15 H125s, China’s largest H125 fleet. The expanded authorisation will further improve reassembly services for Chinese customers and enhance H125 fleet development in the country.

In addition, SGGAC becomes China’s second HCare Smart customer with the signing of a PBH contract covering its H225 and H215. 

PBH is one of Airbus Helicopters’ customised HCare global support programmes that guarantees the supply of spare parts and repaired parts at a fixed rate per flight hour. To meet the needs of PBH customers, the company maintains a dedicated pool of parts supported by a large global logistics network. The service enables operators to enhance their helicopter fleet availability, reduce inventory costs and stabilise maintenance expenses.  

SGGAC joins HCare alongside CITIC Offshore Helicopter Company (COHC), which became China’s first PBH customer in 2019. COHC operates one of the largest Airbus helicopter fleets in Asia Pacific with nearly 50 aircraft. In May 2021, COHC’s H225 fleet became the world’s largest H225 fleet enrolled with HCare Smart when a 12th H225 joined the PBH programme. 

Today, there are 56 Super Pumas in China flying a range of demanding missions, such as oil & gas, search and rescue, fire-fighting, and even power line construction. Globally, more than 700 Super Pumas are flying in the world today, among which 140 are H225s. Nearly one third of Super Pumas are enrolled with HCare global support contracts. 

HCare is Airbus Helicopters’ comprehensive services offering, delivering tailor-made and competitive solutions to customers. It spans five domains: material management, helicopter maintenance, technical support, training and flight operations, and connected services, with experts available on-call 24/7. The HCare material management service starts out with Easy (on-request catalogue services) and Smart (four by-the-hour options), before progressively building up to Infinite (full availability commitments).