Airbus signs H135 contract with Le Havre Port

news

by Mike Stones

26 June 2023

Airbus Helicopters has signed a contract with Le Havre Port for the acquisition of a H135 aircraft to be used for marine pilot transfer.

To be commissioned by the end of 2024, the H135 will replace an AS365 N3 Dauphin helicopter that has been in service for more than 12 years. The deal includes a 10-year support and service contract covering spare parts, training, and logistics services.

The acquisition will enable synergies with the ports of Dunkirk and Gironde, which also operate helicopters of the same type, according to the manufacturer. Le Havre was the first port in the world to introduce helicopter services for marine pilot transfer in 1976 with the acquisition of an Alouette III.

Baudoin Marraud des Grottes, head of Sales, Western Europe, Airbus Helicopters welcomed the Le Havre-Fécamp Pilot Station’s decision to select the H135 for pilot transfer missions. “The H135 has proven it’s perfect for those missions with customers all over the world, especially thanks to Airbus Helicopters’ Helionix avionics suite, which reduces pilot workload and increases safety during hoist operations,” he said.

Pavel Pereira, president, Le Havre-Fécamp Pilot Station said the H135 acquisition celebrated 47 years of “fruitful collaboration” between the two companies, from the first aircraft purchase in 1976 to the latest – its sixth. “Helicopters enable our marine pilots to board and disembark ships arriving at the ports of Le Havre, Antifer, and Fécamp and contribute to the fulfillment of our public service missions throughout the year,” said Pereira.

The new H135 will be equipped with an Emergency Floatation System & External Life Raft System (both certified up to Sea State 6), Helicopter Emergency Egress Lighting (HEEL), Automatic Deployable Emergency Locator Transmitter (ADELT) and a hoist. More than 1,400 H135 helicopters are in service with about 320 operators in 66 countries. The global fleet has logged more than 6.7m flight hours.