Eurocopter to provide support to Australian market with commission of Perth helicopter support center

MARIGNANE, France, 1 Dec. 2012. Eurocopter has commissioned a modern facility in Perth to support customer helicopters operating in Western Australia's North-West Shelf region.

At present, several companies in Australia operate more than 25 17/19-passenger helicopters of Eurocopter's Super Puma family. The aircraft provide airlift supply and personnel transport operations for oil and gas resource development. With support services readily at hand; Eurocopter expects this development to grow over the next three to four years.

The Perth Support Center, established in the suburb of Canning Vale between Perth and Jandakot airports, consists of office, training, maintenance and warehousing facilities. Set up and managed by Eurocopter’s local subsidiary in the Australia-Pacific region, Australian Aerospace Limited, it will provide customers with warehousing for stock on consignment and additional spare parts, training for pilots, maintenance and repair operations, and technical support.

Western Australia’s isolation from Europe, compounded by the vast and remote area in which the Eurocopter helicopters operate, gave rise to the opportunity for Eurocopter to provide customers with in-country, close-proximity support facilities.

Operators in other parts of the world often have access to ready sources of local support. Accodring to Eurocopter officials, the ongoing success of the current fleet in Western Australia is critical to ensure the future growth of Eurocopter product operations there and to prepare for the introduction of next-generation helicopters like the EC175.