Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

Contributor

Mark Huber

Airbus Helicopters' H160 is front and center this week at&nbsp;EBACE 2023.&nbsp;Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH; Booth Z52, Static Display AD_03) has an intermediate twin ACH160 on static display and another is available for customer demonstrations during the show.
The focus on marketing the ACH160 to the corporate/VIP segment follows Airbus's announcement of&nbsp;several new orders for the H160 platform and the continued evolution of the ACH brand, which it launched in 2017. Altogether, Airbus has booked more than 30 orders for the ACH160.&nbsp;
The&nbsp;medium-twin helicopter received EASA certification on July 1, 2020.&nbsp;Airbus already has received several large fleet orders for the H160. Last month, it signed a contract with&nbsp;China’s&nbsp;GDAT, a helicopter lessor and operator, for 50 H160s—a deal&nbsp;worth more than&nbsp;$700 million.
That&nbsp;announcement came during French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to China&nbsp;and is the largest single order for the H160 on the civil and parapublic market since the helicopter was unveiled in 2015.&nbsp;Other significant orders for the type to date include one for 169 militarized aircraft (designation H160M) from the&nbsp;French Armament General Directorate (DGA).&nbsp;
According to Airbus, the intermediate-twin helicopter features 20 percent more cabin volume per passenger and 35 percent larger windows than legacy helicopters in its class. It makes extensive use of carbon-fiber composites in the fuselage and main rotor blades that enhance corrosion resistance, especially in maritime operations.
The multirole, 12-passenger (four to eight&nbsp;in executive configuration) H160 also offers noise-reducing Blue Edge main rotor blades and&nbsp;advanced Helionix avionics with safety features that include accrued pilot assistance and flight envelope protection. Power comes from a pair of 1,300-shp Safran Arrano 1A engines that incorporate variable inlet guide&nbsp;vanes to cut fuel consumption.&nbsp;The H160 has an&nbsp;estimated maximum cruise speed of 150 knots, a 20,000-foot&nbsp;service ceiling,&nbsp;and a 475-nm range (no reserve, standard tanks).&nbsp;
For executive and VIP ACH160 customers, Airbus has designed a variety of configurations. In March, the airframer delivered the first ACH160 Exclusive helicopter to a private customer in France. The ACH160 Exclusive is the premium version of the H160 helicopter, which is certified by EASA and being delivered to private and business customers.
Last year, Airbus Helicopters, via its Helibras affiliate in Brazil, sold the first ACH160 equipped with the new modular “Line Lounge” interior. The Line Lounge can be configured with bench seating for four to eight passengers or two forward-facing armchairs with a rear-facing bench and cabinet. The option also comes with several high-end interior features and finishes, including&nbsp;leather patterns, metallic inserts and plating, and custom carpeting. Line Lounge is one of three interior configurations offered on the ACH160.&nbsp;
Airbus also continues to see success with its ACH130 Aston Martin edition (ACH130AM) following a recently announced design refresh that added more interior and exterior colors and detailing for the turbine-single helicopter. In fact, it now has orders for&nbsp;18 and a production commitment for at least 30 copies.
Other ACH variants include the&nbsp;ACH125, ACH130, ACH135, ACH145, ACH160, and ACH175. They offer&nbsp;a range of premium completion features, including high-end interiors and various exterior paint schemes. All ACH helicopters can be supported by ACHCare via a five-year/1,000-flight-hour contract backed by 30 customer centers, 100 MROs, 10 global logistic hubs, and a 24/7 call center.&nbsp;ACH booked orders for&nbsp;108 helicopters in 2022—the second successive year in which sales exceeded 100 aircraft.

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Airbus Showcasing ACH160 at EBACE Business Aviation Show in Geneva

The Airbus Corporate Helicopters ACH160 will be on static display and available for customer demonstrations.

Airbus Showcasing ACH160 at Geneva Bizav Show

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Neelam Mathews

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Single-engined rotorcraft will compete with Hindustan Aeronautics’ Light Utility Helicopter

Tata and Airbus Set To Build H125 Helicopters in India

Charles Alcock

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

Evacuation of Ukrainian troops from Mariupol inspired efforts to "reinvent helicopters"

Lithuanian Start-up Takes New Approach to Emergency Air Mobility

Matt Thurber

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

System would encourage operators to add equipment to prevent accidents

VAST Effort Explores Helicopter Safety Rating System

Aero Asset’s annual report noted a four-year peak in supply in Q4 2024

Single-engine Helicopter Market Stable, Supply Climbs

Helicopter sales for 2024 climbed 10% over 2023, including 58 Super Pumas

Airbus Helicopter Deliveries, Orders Climb During 2024

News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

Purchase marks company’s first investment in utility helicopter segment

Fundamental Advisors Acquires Utility Operator HeloAir

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

Works includes new avionics, fresh paint, ultra-leather seats, and pop-out floats

Meridian Delivers 29th Refurbished Bell 206 to FlyNYON

Jessica Reed

Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

EBACE Convention News 2023

More In Rotorcraft