From CNTV
As the China aviation industry celebrates its 60th anniversary this month,
Eurocopter, in collaboration with Airbus, presents a brand new cabin interior
concept specially designed for the Chinese market called Phoenix, to underline
its commitment to the country's aviation development.
Designed specially to suit the tastes and aesthetic preferences of Chinese
customers, a burgundy red cabin interior exuding an oriental ambience called
Phoenix will be offered in the Eurocopter EC155 B1 helicopter model.
Bruno Boulnois, CEO of Eurocopter China, believes that this new offering will
appeal to Chinese customers. "An EC155 B1 with a Phoenix cabin looks great both
on the interior and exterior. To be able to present this concept in celebration
of the Chinese aviation industry's grand 60th anniversary is truly a 'double
happiness' befitting this monumental occasion."
A 5-ton twin-engine helicopter, the EC155 B1 can seat up to nine passengers
in VIP and corporate configuration and is known to be the quietest in its class.
The EC155 B1 is the latest addition to the proven Dauphin family, which has sold
over 1,000 helicopters worldwide, with 30 percent of them in business and VIP
configurations. In China, 15 units of the EC155 have been sold.
This specially designed cabin concept was developed in collaboration with
Airbus, who is offering the Phoenix cabin interior in its Airbus corporate jets.
The cabin has a layout that is designed to appeal to Asian tastes.
With the Asian private jet market being one of the fastest-growing in the
world today, the importance of helicopters will also grow in tandem, as
helicopters are a vital complement to business jets.
"The flexibility offered by helicopters in take-off and landing is an
extremely attractive proposition. In today's world, where time is such a
precious commodity, helicopters have proven to be the fastest and most efficient
mode of transport for travels within a distance of 500 kilometers or less," said
Boulnois.
Eurocopter has been a long-term partner of the Chinese aviation industry,
with the sale of the first helicopter here 44 years ago, and cooperation
programs for joint development and production of various helicopter models since
the 1980s. A full-fledge subsidiary, Eurocopter China, was also set up in
December 2006, with offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and
three more to be set up in Chengdu, Wuhan and Harbin in 2011. A logistics hub
and a nationwide support network to provide maintenance and training services
have been developed over the years, where Eurocopter China's aim is to be close
to its customers and provide support and services in the most time- and
cost-effective manner.
