Airbus Helicopters adds AS350 series customers

Anaheim, California – Liberty Helicopters, a New York City tour and charter company, has recently taken delivery of two AS350B2 AStars purchased from Airbus Helicopters Inc. The first was into service in December and the second will enter service by March. Part of a planned fleet upgrade, the two new B2s bring Liberty’s fleet to 15 Airbus Helicopters aircraft owned or managed for both tour and charter work. The fleet includes 10 AStars, three AS355 Twin Stars, an AS365 Dauphin, and an EC135.

 

Produced and certified in the U.S., the AS350-series single-engine helicopter accommodates five to six passengers in forward-facing seats. 

 

U.S. Helicopters Inc., a provider of full-service, exclusive-use electronic news gathering helicopter programs in the U.S., continues to upgrade its fleet with the addition of two new AS350B2s. Delivered in July and December of 2013, the two new B2s will service news stations in two of the top five U.S. television markets. The AS350B2 is required to support larger and heavier equipment needs, including a U.S. Helicopters-designed and certified modular operator/engineer console in the cabin.

 

The Tulsa Police Department ordered one AS350B2 to begin the process of replacing its fleet of two patrol helicopters. Also, the Oklahoma City Police Department ordered two AS350B3e helicopters to replace its current fleet of patrol helicopters and to increase the types of missions performed, such as tactical missions with the SWAT team and to deploy water buckets for joint firefighting missions with the Oklahoma City Fire Department.

 

The recent purchases by Tulsa and Oklahoma City are in addition to the purchase of an AS350B3e by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in late 2012. 

 

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety has chosen an AS350B3e for multiple missions, including patrol, drug eradication, and hurricane support. Mississippi DPS took ownership of its new AS350B3e, which was produced at the Airbus Helicopters Inc. plant in Columbus, Miss., in January. The aircraft is now undergoing completion at Airbus Helicopters Inc. headquarters in Grand Prairie, Texas, with a final delivery scheduled for late spring.

 

More than 200 AS350-series helicopters are now in service with law enforcement agencies in the U.S., according to Airbus Helicopters.

 

The University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science has purchased an AS350B3e to serve as a flying scientific laboratory. Ordered in December 2013 and scheduled for delivery this summer, the university’s first helicopter was purchased using gifts from private foundations and an anonymous donor. It will support the research missions of University of Miami scientists and other research institutions by improving understanding of the Earth’s environment. It also will be used for aerial photography of natural disasters and transportation of scientists and their equipment to remote areas difficult or impossible to access from the ground.

 

Airbus Helicopters Inc. (AHI) is the U.S. affiliate of Airbus Helicopters, a subsidiary of the Airbus Group. AHI is installing a full assembly line in its Columbus, Miss., production facility for the AS350 series helicopters, with the first aircraft to be rolled out in the fourth quarter of 2014.