Eurocopter signs contract for Ecureuil B3s with Pawan Hans

The European helicopter manufacturer Eurocopter has signed a 7-million euro contract for three AS350 B3 Ecureuils with Pawan Hans, India's leading helicopter operator on civil and parapublic market.

The versatility of the single-engine helicopters, will enble Pawan Hans to cover large segments such as tourism, medical evacuation, surveillance missions, and other.
Pawan Hans currently operates 27 Dauphin helicopters–the largest Dauphin fleet in the world.

"We are delighted to continue our extremely successful partnership with Pawan Hans," declared Norbert Ducrot, Eurocopter Senior Vice-President for Sales and Customer Relations in the Asia-Pacific zone. "This is an important contract for us, since it is the first introduction of light single engine Eurocopter helicopters into Pawan Hans. This contract proves once again that Eurocopter products are perfectly adapted to the Indian market."

The AS350 B3 Ecureuil is a light single-engine helicopter that can hold six people. It is perfectly adapted to extreme weather conditions: The freezing cold or scorching heat. The Ecureuil made aeronautical history in May, 2005 when it landed on Mount Everest at an altitude of 8850 meters.

This record perfectly demonstrates the exceptional qualities of the helicopter, in terms of technical performance, reliability, flexibility, speed and resistance. Nearly 4000 Ecureuil helicopters are currently in service throughout the world, including more than 800 AS350 B3s.

Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a division of aerospace, defence manufacturer EADS.