Japan Coast Guard expands Airbus H225 Super Puma helicopter fleet for search and rescue

TOKYO, 14 March 2016. Japan Coast Guard (JCG) officials are purchasing a sixth Airbus H225 twin-turbine helicopter (previously named the EC225), the newest member of Airbus Helicopters’ Super Puma rotorcraft family, as part of the agency’s fleet renewal efforts.

This H225 will be equipped with the most advanced search-and-rescue mission systems and operated in security enforcement, territorial sea guard duties as well as disaster relief missions.

JCG, which already operates five H225 heavy helicopters from Airbus Helicopters in Marignane, France, is scheduled to receive the new rotor-wing aircraft by the end of 2018.

“We are proud to see that the H225’s outstanding performance in challenging search and rescue missions, as well as our comprehensive support and services offer are being recognized and valued,” says Stéphane Ginoux, president of Airbus Helicopters in Japan. “To ensure our customer’s complete satisfaction, we remain committed to high availability rates for JCG’s H225 fleet, thanks to our domestic footprint and our broad range of services.”

The H225 accommodates up to 19 passengers, is equipped with state-of-the-art electronic instruments and autopilot, offers endurance and fast cruise speed, and can be fitted with various equipment to suit any role and purpose.

Currently, more than 180 H225s are operating in 22 countries and have logged nearly 500,000 hours of flight time.

A total of 24 helicopters from the Super Puma family are operated in Japan by civil and parapublic users for search and rescue, offshore operations, and passenger transport missions.

Airbus Helicopters, a division of Airbus Group, provides civil and military helicopter solutions worldwide. Its in-service fleet includes nearly 12,000 helicopters operated by more than 3,000 customers in 154 countries. Airbus Helicopters employs more than 22,000 people worldwide and in 2015 generated revenues of 6.8 billion Euros.