European major Airbus reportedly shortlisted eight sites in India for setting up its second assembly line in the country.
The advanced move on the second Airbus facility in India, to come up in partnership with Tata Advanced Systems (TASL), comes just weeks ahead of the inauguration of its first assembly line facility for the C295 transport plane.
The second plant will make the H125 and will be the fourth for the single-engine helicopter after Airbus factories in France, Brazil and the US.
It will produce around 10 helicopters a year with the first of these debuting in early 2026, PTI reported.
The facility, which will be the fourth Final Assembly Line (FAL) for the single-engine H125, will initially produce up to 10 helicopters annually and the capacity will be ramped up depending on the market demand, aviation giant officials said.
“India is the market of the future for helicopters… At present, the market is extremely embryonic, it is very small compared to what the potential could be,” Olivier Michalon, Executive Vice President Global Business of Airbus Helicopters, said.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the FAL is expected in October or November this year and the facility will be operational in 2026 and the delivery is anticipated to start towards the end of 2026.
“We have identified eight sites which we are currently assessing. We are still in the final assessment stage. We should be in a position to announce it shortly,” Michalon said.
Airbus forecasts soaring H125 demand in India
For Airbus, H125 is the most-sold helicopter in India as well as the South Asia region.
The aerospace company has projected the demand for H125 helicopters in India and neighbouring countries at 500 over the next 20 years.
In India, there are about 100 Airbus helicopters, with the majority of them being H125 and 130s.
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