Luxo-Helo Ordered By Falcon Aviation Services

Add another entrant into the luxury-helicopter game, on the heels of AgustaWestland's partnership with Versace. Eurocopter announced this week at EBACE 2008 the sale of its first EC135 'l’Hélicoptère par Hermès' to Falcon Aviation Services (FAS), provider of high-level aviation charter services in the UAE and Gulf regions.

"The clientele in the business aviation market is highly demanding. In addition to being an efficient, convenient and safe means of transport, the helicopter also has to sport a classy design and elegant interiors in order to provide a unique travelling experience for our customers - one that combines style and comfort. We believe to have risen up to the challenge with the "l’Hélicoptère par Hermès," said Philippe Harache, Eurocopter's Senior Executive Vice-President.

"We are extremely honored to be the first customer for this exclusive "l’Hélicoptère par Hermès," said FAS Chairman Salem Al Kayoumi. "Inside this helicopter where single minute detail is well designed and well thought of, it is as if we are entering a "cocooned" zone of comfort where all our needs are taken care of, leaving us the luxury of travelling in peace without having to neither worry nor think about anything.

Based on the popular EC135, 'l’Hélicoptère par Hermès' unites the latest and most advanced aircraft technologies developed by Eurocopter with the savoir-faire of Hermès, which has accompanied discerning travellers for more than 170 years. Starting with the EC135's spacious cabin with a seating capacity for four passengers, Hermès designer and craftsmen added a choice of four colors for the exterior paint scheme and five for the interiors, in any combination.

Sliding doors on the helicopter open to reveal an interior configuration that is "sober, lightfilled and unexpectedly spacious," according to Eurocopter. The cabin was completely redesigned by Hermès Interior and Design to maximize available space, with surfaces from floor to ceiling covered in ‘Toile H’, a signature Hermès canvas used to manufacture the firm’s luggage since the 1920s.

Seats are handcrafted for exceptional comfort, and upholstered in calf leathers, naturally grained and highly resistant. Addressing a commonly expressed wish, the craftmen of Hermès Interior and Design have optimized the use of fabrics and leathers to soften ambient noise and vibration. Consoles, drawers and cabinets have been recessed or placed entirely out of view.

A sliding glass partition now separates passenger compartment and cockpit, enhancing privacy while allowing light to enter from the aircraft’s forward section.

FMI: www.eurocopter.com, www.falconaviation.ae/