Milestone Aviation Group and Turbomeca Launch Groundbreaking Comprehensive Partnership
Las Vegas, NV – Leading helicopter engine manufacturer Turbomeca (Safran) and Milestone Aviation Group, the global leader in helicopter leasing, announced today at Heli-Expo a first-of-its-kind partnership, offering unique services to Milestone customers while expanding Turbomeca’s customer base.
A culmination of efforts announced last year to develop novel engine support solutions and services for Milestone’s lease customers around the world, the partnership includes the launch of a unique Support by the Hour (SBH®) program. This ground-breaking program provides Milestone customers with significant added value and unique benefits —including a novel approach that leverages the company’s fleet size to the benefit of all customers. This program will allow Milestone’s lessees to better control maintenance costs and maximize the availability of covered aircraft.
“We are excited to announce this strategically important collaboration with Milestone,” said Olivier Andries, Chairman and CEO of Turbomeca. “This is the kind of inventive, mutually beneficial program that Milestone presents for us with lessees and operators. This partnership represents a significant opportunity for us to expand our customer base through Milestone’s market-leading global lease portfolio of Turbomeca-powered helicopters.”
“With this announcement, Milestone breaks new ground by partnering with Turbomeca to offer these unique benefits to our customers,” said Richard Santulli, Chairman of Milestone Aviation Group. “By leveraging the operating experience of the Milestone team, we are able to offer our customers innovative support solutions that add value and benefit to their business.”
Turbomeca will manage this global support partnership using Turbomeca’s international network of its support sites and numerous Certified Maintenance Centers, thus offering a global solution with local interface for Milestone’s customers.
About Turbomeca
Turbomeca (Safran) is the leading helicopter engine manufacturer, and has produced 70,000 turbines based on its own designs since the company was founded. Offering the widest range of engines in the world and dedicated to 2,500 customers in 155 countries, Turbomeca provides a proximity service thanks to its 17 sites, 28 Certified Maintenance Centers, 18 Repair & Overhaul Centers, and 90 Field representatives and Field technicians. Microturbo, the subsidiary of Turbomeca, is the European leader in turbojet engines for missiles, drones and auxiliary power units.
Eurocopter and Milestone Aviation Group sign an innovative agreement for cooperative marketing and technical support in helicopter leasing
Las Vegas, NV – An innovative agreement signed by Eurocopter and Milestone Aviation Group today brings these two industry leaders together for cooperative marketing of Milestone’s growing helicopter portfolio, backed by Eurocopter’s comprehensive Parts-by-the-Hour (PBH) support services.
This agreement enables Eurocopter to provide its customers and operators commercial access to Milestone’s helicopter inventory with all of the financial benefits that come with leasing – along with the resources of Eurocopter’s PBH program; while Milestone will be able to offer its client base access to the full capabilities of Eurocopter’s PBH services coverage.
“Eurocopter is committed to innovation in all aspects of our industry, and this new accord with Milestone marks an important step in meeting the needs of this our partner and its lessees operating Eurocopter aircraft globally,” said Fabrice Arfi, Eurocopter’s Vice President for Business Development.
Milestone is expanding its fleet of Eurocopter-built rotorcraft as the current inventory of 28 helicopters – consisting of the EC130, EC135, EC145, EC155 B1, AS332 L2 and EC225 types – is supplemented by additional EC225s and EC175s ordered in 2012 and 2013.
“Our new agreement ensures top-level support for Milestone’s leasing customers with the comprehensive capabilities of Eurocopter’s PBH program, while also preserving the value of our assets through a direct working relationship with the aircraft manufacturer,” stated Milestone Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder Matt Harris.
Eurocopter’s PBH program offers highly adaptable and cost-effective services coverage that contributes to minimal helicopter downtime, streamlines maintenance costs and reduces parts inventory. It applies to dynamic components, blades, basic and mission equipment, and can be customizable to operators’ needs.
The Eurocopter/Milestone agreement was formalized today in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Heli-Expo 2013 helicopter industry show, where the accord was announced by Milestone Chairman Richard Santulli and Lutz Bertling, the Eurocopter President & CEO.
About Eurocopter
Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace and defense-related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approximately 22,000 people. In 2012, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 6.3 billion Euros, orders for 469 new helicopters and a 38 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Overall, the Group’s helicopters account for 33 percent of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet. Eurocopter’s strong international presence is ensured by its subsidiaries and participations in 21 countries. Eurocopter’s worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents supports some 2,900 customers. There are currently more than 11,780 Eurocopter helicopters in service in 149 countries. Eurocopter offers the most comprehensive civil and military helicopter range in the world and is fully committed to safety as the most important aspect of its business.
Milestone Aviation Group increases Eurocopter EC225 order to 30 aircraft and announces order for five EC175s
Total order valued at close to U.S. $1 billion
Las Vegas, NV – Milestone Aviation Group, the global leader in helicopter leasing, today announced an order for 14 additional Eurocopter EC225 twin-engine helicopters, which will join the 16 EC225s ordered last year – along with the company’s initial EC175 booking, covering five of these next-generation aircraft.
This new order for the two Eurocopter helicopter types brings Milestone’s EC225 total order book value of firm and optioned aircraft to more than €675 million (US $891 million) at list prices, while the list price valuation of its EC175 acquisition is approximately €70 million (US $92 million).
Milestone Chairman and Co-Founder Richard Santulli and Eurocopter President and CEO Lutz Bertling announced the EC225 and EC175 contract on March 5 at the Heli-Expo 2013 helicopter industry show in Las Vegas.
“This order further develops our partnership with Milestone and demonstrates the confidence our
longstanding partner places in Eurocopter’s Super Puma family and our new EC175,” Bertling said. “It underscores the EC225’s operational performance and value delivered with demanding customers such as Milestone, while making an important endorsement for the EC175.”
Milestone’s EC225s and EC175s will be configured to the requirements of its operating partners for use in duties such as crew change missions to off-shore oil and gas platforms and search and rescue.
“The EC225 has a long-standing reputation for safety and reliability in the most demanding operating conditions,” commented Milestone’s Santulli. “Despite the current challenges the aircraft is facing, we are confident that Eurocopter and the EC225 will overcome them. This helicopter is a fantastic asset that will be a mainstay of the offshore oil and gas and search and rescue markets for decades to come.”
Santulli added: “With the EC175, our customers will benefit from the high-performance, range and payload capabilities of this exciting new aircraft.”
The EC225 integrates Eurocopter’s latest technological innovations in a highly capable 11-ton-category helicopter. Powered by two Turbomeca Makila 2A1 engines, the EC225’s main gear box and 5-blade rotor give this rotorcraft the ability to carry a variety of payloads, along with excellent range and fast cruise speeds.
Deployed worldwide for civil and military search and rescue, as well as offshore and passenger
transport missions, the Super Puma/Cougar family has logged more than 4.5 million flight hours in operations around the globe. When configured for offshore crew change operations in support of oil and gas producers, the EC225 can be rapidly converted for search and rescue operations.
The EC175 was designed by Eurocopter in close cooperation with operators, and is the first helicopter in the seven-ton category with its payload and range capabilities. This rotorcraft also extends the EC225’s undisputed superiority of in-flight envelope protection, pilot assistance and situational awareness, and includes the most innovative alerting and self-monitoring system.
Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67E engines and equipped with a five-blade Spheriflex main rotor system, the EC175’s range provides the reach needed by offshore service providers and other operators – transporting 16 passengers in an oil and gas configuration to distances of 140 naut. mi., with its range approaching 200 naut. mi. when 12 passengers are carried.
About Eurocopter
Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace and defense-related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approximately 22,000 people. In 2012, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 6.3 billion Euros, orders for 469 new helicopters and a 38 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Overall, the Group’s helicopters account for 33 percent of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet. Eurocopter’s strong international presence is ensured by its subsidiaries and participations in 21 countries. Eurocopter’s worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents supports some 2,900 customers. There are currently more than 11,780 Eurocopter helicopters in service in 149 countries. Eurocopter offers the most comprehensive civil and military helicopter range in the world and is fully committed to safety as the most important aspect of its business
About Milestone Aviation Group
Milestone Aviation Group is the first global aircraft leasing company exclusively focused on helicopters. Milestone’s global aircraft leasing platform addresses the liquidity needs of a transforming marketplace through 100% operating lease financing. Since launching in August 2010, Milestone has leased more than 75 aircraft valued at more than $1 billion with 21 operators in 20 countries. In addition, the company is expected to have placed future firm helicopter orders and secured options valued at more than $2.2 billion by the end of HAI’s Heli-Expo 2013. Further information is available at www.milestoneaviation.com.