What Makes Airbus’ ACH125 Popular with Private Users?

1974 saw the introduction of the AS350 Ecureuil helicopter and, 7,000 units and 30 million flight hours later, the latest version of the aircraft - the Airbus H125 - continues to be hugely successful with customers. Here's why...

GA Buyer Europe

AvBuyer | 20th June 2018

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The AvBuyer editorial team includes Matt Harris and Rebecca Applegarth who contribute to a number of...

For more than 40 years, pilots and companies around the world have been voting with their hard-earned cash. 1974 saw the introduction of the AS350 Ecureuil helicopter and, 7,000 manufactured units and 30 million flight hours later, the latest version of the aircraft continues to be hugely successful with customers worldwide. Here’s why…

Today the renamed Airbus H125 helicopter, capable of lifting its own weight in payload, is used across all environments for private and business, utility and aerial missions.

Its high performance, reliability (offering 90% availability) and affordability makes it a natural choice for operating in extreme conditions and locations including offshore, high plateau and mountainous regions, remote wilderness and tough, arid habitats.

But its sports car-inspired lightweight design, offering a versatile and responsive performance make it the single-engine turbine helicopter of choice with private owner aviation enthusiasts who represent a major proportion of the approximately 5,000 aircraft flying today.

Photo © Airbus Helicopters, Patrick Penna

Private and Business Aviation Market Platform

While Airbus Helicopters has long catered for the Private and Business Aviation market, it was only in May 2017 that the company developed a dedicated Private and Business Aviation platform – Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH) – from which to better meet the needs and expectations of this market.

And bringing together the heritage of aerospace engineering excellence with ACH’s new focus on quality and a service-based approach to customers has given the aircraft a new lease of life in this segment, turning a classic into the hot turbine helicopter of the moment.

The ACH125 is powerful, fun and consistently performs to, and in many cases above, expectations and, when fitted with the elegant Stylence by ACH interior, represents a model form of transport for those with high standards who enjoy first hand the thrill of flying.

With capacity for up to six passengers (albeit in basic configuration) the ACH125 allows the demanding, no-compromise owners and operators to share this comfortable and convenient lifestyle experience with friends, families, clients and colleagues.

The latest update in engine, avionics (including the Garmin G500) and flight control systems deliver outstanding capabilities, enhanced situational awareness and improved safety while building on the formidable availability and intuitive piloting which make the ACH125 the lifestyle asset par excellence.

Photo © Airbus Helicopters, Patrick Penna

Setting New Standards in Private and Business Aviation

As part of the launch of ACH, through the manufacturer’s operations at its Oxford-based UK headquarters (home to Britain’s Civil Helicopter Hub) the company has established ACH’s European Centre of Excellence.

Here, customers will find a one-stop shop combining in-house, UK-based skills and capability in the provision of bespoke corporate and VIP rotary-wing solutions fine-tuned over many years of experience, along with ACH’s new, industry-leading quality standards and service-approach to business.

This ensures an end-to-end customer experience where, from first contact of a potential future customer, through to provision of 24/7 concierge-style support services (which helps achieve high availability while retaining resale value), pilots and owners benefit from the manufacturer’s own unmatched commitment and expertise.

While it is easy to highlight the strengths of the aircraft and the company’s front-of-house display offering, a candid perspective may point at cases of costly delays or impacts on availability which are easily laid at the feet of the manufacturer.

However, it is also true that through the manufacturer customers have a direct access to the design authority expertise and knowledge, which no other organisation can offer, along with the shortest supply chain for spares in the industry.

With no one to fall back on, direct customers will know that all issues have to be dealt with in full transparency – after all there are no third parties who can be held accountable.

It is safe to say that with the launch of ACH and the increased integration of Airbus Helicopters’ UK operations with the wider company, both aircraft and support services are delivered to new and improved standards.

They say life starts at 40, and with both the H125 Squirrel and Airbus Helicopters in the UK not long past this birthday, it would certainly appear to be the case.

More information from www.helicopters.airbus.com