Airbus Helicopters has begun to establish China's first assembly line for civil helicopters. The plant, which construction started in the city of Qingdao, the Shandong province, will be jointly managed by Airbus Helicopters and General Aviation Qingdao United Company, a Qingdao integrated company for general aviation.
After the completion of construction in 2018, the plant will assemble 18 helicopters H135 per year. However, the production capacity can be increased depending on demand. The release of the first helicopter is expected in 2019, Interfax reports.
As stated by CEO of Airbus Helicopters Guillaume Faury, the creation of the assembly line for helicopters bears evidence of an increasing cooperation with China, which is experiencing dynamic development of the aviation industry.
