Thu, Oct 16, 2014
Chinese Automotive Company Will Purchase 50 Aircraft Of Various Models
Beijing Automotive Industrial Corporation (BAIC) of China has signed a multi-year contract for the purchase of 50 AgustaWestland helicopters of various models, including AW139, AW169 and AW189. Deliveries are scheduled to start in mid-2015 and continue through to 2019. The contract, that includes training, spare parts and technical support is valued around €400 million (approx $510 million), excluding customer selected options and mission equipment. The contract was signed today in Rome by BGAC Chairman Xu Heyi and Finmeccanica CEO and MD Mauro Moretti in the presence of China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiang and Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
The contract follows the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the companies in June this year and lays the foundation of a strategic partnership to serve the development of the growing Chinese para-public helicopter market. This will include a range of applications such as law enforcement, rescue, emergency medical service, firefighting and disaster relief. The partnership will evolve further with plans to provide local support, training and aircraft customization services.
More than 60 AgustaWestland helicopters had been sold to Chinese customers prior to this latest contract to satisfy a range of mission requirements, including law enforcement, rescue, disaster relief, firefighting, public utility, patrol, environmental monitoring, harbour pilot shuttle, VIP and passenger transport duties. With this contract, in the last 12 months AgustaWestland has signed orders in the Country for over 70 helicopters of various types, confirming its successful position in this important growth market.
The contract includes various types of helicopters, ranging from the single engine AW119Kx to the AW189 super medium helicopter. All products share the same commitment to quality, innovation and effectiveness. The order is also another endorsement of AgustaWestland Family of new generation helicopters. The AW139, AW169 and AW189 possess the same high performance flight characteristics and safety features as well as sharing a common cockpit layout, design philosophy and maintenance concept.
(Image provided by AgustaWestland)
More News
Very High Frequency The frequency band between 30 and 300 MHz. Portions of this band, 108 to 118 MHz, are used for certain NAVAIDs; 118 to 136 MHz are used for civil air/ground voi>[...]
Aero Linx: Aviation Suppliers Association Established February 25, 1993, the Aviation Suppliers Association (ASA), based in Washington, D.C., is a not-for-profit association, repre>[...]
Have A Story That NEEDS To Be Featured On Aero-News? Here’s How To Submit A Story To Our Team Some of the greatest new stories ANN has ever covered have been submitted by our>[...]
From 2021 (YouTube Version): Colorado Campus Offers aVariety Of Aerospace Entertainment And Education Wings over the Rockies Exploration of Flight is the second location for the Wi>[...]
Also: Paramotor Champ's, Electric Ultralight, ICON BK Update, Burt Rutan at Oshkosh! The Popular Rotorcraft Association is reaching out for help in rebuilding their private runway >[...]
ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.17.24): Very High Frequency
See All