Heritage Aviation acquires two H125 helicopters

Airbus Helicopters H125 (Credit: Airbus Helicopters Eric Raz)

Heritage Aviation of India has acquired two H125 aircraft built by Airbus Helicopters.

The helicopters will be used for charter and utility flights, especially pilgrimage helicopter tours. The first H125 will arrive in India by the end of the month, followed by the second in early May.

Heritage Aviation has been operating at pilgrimage sites in India with leased aircraft in the past and has decided to operate the H125 (formerly AS350 Ecureuil).

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Rohit Mathur, CEO of Heritage Aviation, said: “Based on feedback of our pilots and customers, the H125 has been one of the most popular aircraft especially for visits to temples on high grounds.”

“Passengers find the flights stable, assuring and comfortable; while pilots like the ease of flying it at high altitudes and in hilly areas,” Mathur added.

Pilgrim tourism has grown in India with more travelling by helicopter rather than by road or trekking. The H125 has been frequently used to fly tourists to places such as Kedarnath and Badrinath. It is also being used extensively for passenger transport at Amarnath and Vaishno Devi shrines in the States of Jammu and Kashmir.

Xavier Hay, managing director of Airbus Helicopters customer centre in India, said: “We are grateful to Heritage Aviation for selecting the H125 – it is a great testimony to the helicopter’s capabilities as they have experienced it first-hand before making a decision. The H125 is a highly versatile and cost-efficient helicopter that can be seen performing a wide range of missions across India today.”