Tata and Airbus to Establish India's First Private H125 Helicopter Assembly Line

Tags: National News

On July 23, 2024, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus Helicopters (based in Marignane, France) signed an agreement at the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) 2024 in Farnborough, England.

An Overview of the News

• The agreement establishes a Final Assembly Line (FAL) in India for single-engine H125 choppers.

• The announcement for this agreement was made on January 26, 2024, by Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury and Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran.

Details and Key Points:

• This FAL marks the first private sector helicopter assembly facility in India, producing H125 choppers for India and neighboring countries.

• Deliveries of the first 'Made in India' H125s are expected to start in 2026.

• The FAL will handle the integration of major component assemblies, avionics, mission systems, electrical harnesses, hydraulic circuits, flight controls, dynamic components, fuel system, and the engine.

• The facility will also conduct testing and qualification of the helicopters.

H125:

• The H125 is the world's best-selling single-engine helicopter and the only helicopter to have landed on Mount Everest.

• It is part of Airbus' Ecureuil family and has accumulated over 40 million flight hours worldwide.

• It can operate in high-and-hot and extreme environments and can be reconfigured for various missions, including aerial work, firefighting, law enforcement, rescue, air ambulance, and passenger transport.