Airbus Helicopters UK’s new HQ attracts royal visitor

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by Mike Stones

17 September 2024

Airbus Helicopters has opened its new £55m headquarters at Oxford Airport.

Airbus Helicopters has marked 50 years of operation in the UK with the opening of its new UK headquarters at London Oxford Airport. The official opening of the new facility – which includes nearly 126,000sqft (11,700sqm) of hangar space dedicated to maintenance and completions – attracted former emergency services pilot the Prince of Wales to the event.

Bruno Even, CEO, Airbus Helicopters told civil and military industry leaders plus a UK government minister that the new facility shows the manufacturer’s commitment to its UK operations. “This £55m commitment by Airbus and Oxford Airport underlines our commitment to growing our presence in the UK, where we will continue to serve both civil and governmental customers,” he said.

During his address, Even also thanked Marwan Khalek, CEO, Gama Aviation for the company’s new order for three H145s, which will fly for the Scottish Ambulance Service.

‘Home countries’

Terming the UK one of Airbus’s “home countries”, Even said that the manufacturer’s output of civil and military helicopters means it now supplies about half of all the turbine helicopters in the UK.

The new facility’s primary role will be completions and retrofits for Airbus helicopters operated by both civil and military customers. Its secondary role will be the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of helicopters for organisations such as the police and the military.

But the company’s role at Oxford Airport is not limited to completions and maintenance. “We have our own design office here, developing complex solutions for customers with highly technical equipment requirements on their aircraft,” said Even. “And we provide training for pilots and engineers for domestic and international customers.” All UK military rotary pilots and rear crews learn to fly on one of Airbus’s fleet of 36 Junos and Jupiters in the Military Flight Training System.

Airbus helicopters also account for 65% of the aircraft in the UK air ambulance fleet.

Focusing on the facility’s green credentials, Airbus said the new building has 50% lower carbon emissions than its previous base. This is attributed to its sophisticated lighting, climate control and construction techniques. Outside the hangar are eight landing pads able to accept all models of Airbus helicopters, including the largest model. Airbus moved to the new facility after leaving its old 1940s-era premises on the airfield.

Airbus also pledged to use a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blend to power all flight operations at the airport – matching the same commitment at its facilities in Marignane, southern France and Donauworth, southern Germany.

200 technical apprentices

Picking up the theme of Airbus’s commitment to the UK, John Harrison, chairman, Airbus UK said the manufacturer was committed to helping develop the next generation of aerospace professionals. “We have trained nearly 200 technical helicopter apprentices here in the UK over the years,” he said. “In fact, we have trained more than 4,000 apprentices across all of our divisions over the last 10 years.”

Responding for the UK government, Abena Oppong-Asare, Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office welcomed investment in the facility. “Helicopters are an important part of how we remain resilient and secure,” she told the audience. “Whether that’s the professional service of an ambulance or the making of helicopters used by our police and security forces to keep the public safe. Airbus are an important part of that story.”

Meanwhile, during his visit to Oxford Airport, the Prince checked out the cockpit of a newly-delivered Airbus H135 helicopter, scheduled to start service with the London’s Air Ambulance Charity next month. He is the charity’s Royal Patron and has served as an RAF search and rescue pilot in addition to flying missions for the East Anglian Air Ambulance from 2015 to 2017.