Business

Wednesday May 13, 2009

Eurocopter picks two potential partners

By EUGENE MAHALINGAM


SUBANG: Eurocopter, the only helicopter manufacturer in Malaysia, has shortlisted two potential partners for a joint-venture company to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul services to the Government’s helicopter fleet.

President and chief executive officer Dr Lutz Bertling declined to reveal the potential partners but said an announcement would be made “very soon.”

“For now, we need to respect the requests of our potential partners to not reveal them. However, an announcement will be made no later then June,” he told a briefing yesterday.

Dr Lutz Bertling at the press briefing

Bertling said Eurocopter would transfer its technical expertise and knowhow to this joint-venture company to assist Malaysian technicians and engineers engaged in the maintenance of the fleet.

“As many as 100 jobs will be created,” he said.

The helicopters to be serviced will be the EC 725, the Fennec for the navy and the Dauphin and Super Puma for the coastguard and police. The services will be provided via vendors.

Eurocopter is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co, one of the world’s largest and leading aerospace corporations.

With more than 10,000 of its helicopters currently in service in 140 countries, Eurocopter offers the largest civil and military helicopter range in the world.

Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Eurocopter Malaysia Sdn Bhd, was incorporated in 2002 and operates from Subang and Miri. It currently has a 50% and 38% market share of the local civil and military market respectively.

On another note, Bertling said Eurocopter planned to make Malaysia a regional training hub once its flight simulator centre was up and running in 2011.

This state-of-the-art simulator academy will be a regional helicopter pilot training hub for the EC 225 and EC 725 and will welcome pilots from other countries such as China, Japan, Vietnam, Australia and South Korea.

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