Airbus Helicopters demonstrates low noise IFR operations

Airbus Helicopters H175 (Credit: J-F Bramard)

Airbus Helicopters has performed low-noise IFR operations at airports with commercial traffic.

As the final outcome of a seven-year project devoted to environment-friendly helicopter approach procedures, Airbus Helicopters used an H175 helicopter to fly low-noise IFR approaches to the heliport of Toulouse-Blagnac airport in south-western France.

The approaches procedures were flown using EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service), the European Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS), and in the presence of airplane traffic simultaneously approaching and departing to/from airport runways.

ALSO READ: Airbus Helicopters delivers the EC175 to NHV

Tomasz Krysinski, the head of Innovation and Research at Airbus Helicopters said: “Airbus Helicopters is the world’s first helicopter manufacturer to demonstrate such helicopter-specific IFR procedures at a heliport located at an airport with commercial airline traffic. We are confident these environment-friendly IFR procedures will contribute to easing helicopter access at airports and remote sites in noise-sensitive areas, thus paving the way for the development of passenger transport with high-speed helicopters.”

“Airbus Helicopters is the world’s first helicopter manufacturer to demonstrate such helicopter-specific IFR procedures at a heliport located at an airport with commercial airline traffic.”

The low-noise helicopter-specific IFR approach procedures are based on the noise optimised flight paths successfully validated in 2013 by Airbus Helicopters with an H155.

Airbus Helicopters released a short video of the flight: