Airbus demonstrates ACH160 yacht capabilities at Monaco
Whilst superyacht owners may seem a particularly niche market, there are more than 100 helicopters flying to and from superyachts around the world. And this is the market Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH) considers core, with more than 80% of the helicopters flying to and from yachts worldwide being Airbus’s.
So, to pitch its new aircraft to this customer base, Airbus Corporate Helicopters is demonstrating the ACH160 by taking off, flying to and from and landing on the 139m Lürssen Flying Fox superyacht at the Monaco Yacht Show on the 26th September.
Airbus is pushing the ACH160 as its brand-new superyacht-capable aircraft. The model that will be flying over Port Hercules this week has an interior design resulting from a collaboration between ACH Creative Style Studio and renowned superyacht designer Harrison Eidsgaard.
The first two ACH160s are currently on the final assembly line at Airbus Helicopter’s Marignane facility. The base commercial variant, the H160, is awaiting certification for its transport configuration from EASA. The first ACH160 will be delivered next year.
When Helicopter Investor talked to Airbus Corporate Helicopter’s CEO Frederic Lemos at EBACE 2019, he explained that his company has sold nine ACH160s to yacht customers. “We got a lot of enquiries from yacht customers when the H160 was announced.”
Other models
The ACH160 is not the only aircraft Airbus is displaying at Monaco this year. Also, on display will be the ACH135 with in-house designed interior which is embarked on the back of Tankoa’s 50-metre M/Y Bintador located at Monaco berth C09.
An ACH145 is on display on the terrace of the Monaco Yacht Club. This specific model is outfitted with a collaborative Mercedes Benz special-edition interior.
Lemos is proud of what his company is doing and achieving, saying: “We are thrilled to be at Monaco once more and we look forward to demonstrating the suitability of our helicopter range to the needs of yacht designers, builders and owners.”
