Airbus Helicopters cuts ribbon on new Romanian facility

[Zarvan]

The Airbus Helicopters H215 C1e is to be built at the new facility in Brasov. Source: IHS/Charles Forrester
Airbus Helicopters has opened its new assembly facility in Brasov, Romania, the company announced on 13 September.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony held at the site was attended by French president Francois Hollande and Romanian prime minister Dacian Ciolos.

The 10,000 m 2 facility, representing an investment of EUR52 million (USD58.4 million), will be responsible for producing the H215 helicopter in both the C1e and L1e variants - formerly known as the AS 332 Super Puma. Currently, the helicopters are produced in Marignane, France.

An Airbus Helicopters spokesperson told IHS Jane's that "Providing a significant order arrives soon, the first H215 could come out of the final assembly line in 2018."

Speaking to IHS Jane's representatives in late 2015, Airbus Helicopters representatives claimed that the factory could produce up to 15 H215s per year, once full-rate production is achieved. Operators of the helicopter include Starlite Aviation Group, the Bolivian Air Force, and the Finnish Border Guards.

The facility will support 350 new jobs once full production is reached, in addition to the 150 jobs supported by the neighbouring Airbus Helicopters Romania maintenance, repair, and overhaul joint venture operated in conjunction with Romania's IAR Brasov.

When the new facility was announced in 2015, Airbus Helicopters revealed that it would be a wholly-owned Airbus operation run through a new company called Airbus Helicopters Industries, which would allow the company full control. In addition to the EUR52 million invested by Airbus Helicopters, a further EUR5 million was being allocated in state aid from European development funds. It has also been hoped that the Romanian government would assist in marketing the helicopter.

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