Airbus starts building first helicopter plant in China

Airbus has begun building its first helicopter assembly plant in China, and the European planemaker plans to produce 18 machines a year there in hopes the country will soon open up its low-altitude airspace.

Airbus Helicopters saw its revenues fall by two per cent last year but is counting on China to boost sales.

The country became its top market last year, with 48 of the 100 helicopters which China bought last year coming from Airbus.

China has a fleet of only 800 helicopters, compared with 8,000 in Europe and 12,000 in the United States, so the potential for growth is vast, said Vincent Dufour, Airbus Helicopters’ sales director in the country.

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Article source: http://www.dailystar.com.lb//Business/International/2017/May-28/407508-airbus-starts-building-first-helicopter-plant-in-china.ashx