Development In Progress For The AS350 B3 And EC130 B4

In order to encourage important safety enhancements for its customers, Airbus Helicopters is now selling its current crash resistant fuel system (CRFS) retrofit solution at a reduced cost and extending the development to additional aircraft models, namely the AS350 B3 and EC130 B4. These kits will complement the existing Airbus retrofit solution for the AS350 B3e, which was first made available as an option for newly manufactured helicopters in 2014.

“Above all, safety is the ultimate priority of Airbus, and it’s our duty to make sure that available solutions that help increase the safety of our helicopters are made readily available to our customers and that we work to remove barriers to implementing such solutions,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “The more helicopters that we as an industry can equip with systems like CRFS, the more we can all work together to ensure that everyone in the aviation community is adhering to the same high standards.”

Airbus is offering its retrofit kits at the reduced cost to all customers, and will credit the difference to any customer having already purchased an H125 retrofit kit from Airbus Helicopters at a higher price The new Airbus B3 and B4 retrofit kits should be available to customers by early 2020. In addition, Airbus is offering an additional incentive in training credits to customers who retrofit their fleets with a third-party kit for the earlier H125 variants (B2 and prior).

Any Airbus H125 or H130 family helicopter in service today that does not have a CRFS can be equipped with one through either an Airbus or third party approved retrofit solution, based on the model. Airbus expects to have CRFS as standard on all new-built H125s worldwide by 2020. This is already the case for all H125s coming off the company’s U.S. final assembly line in Columbus, Mississippi. The H130 (EC130 T2) has come standard with a CRFS since its entry into service in 2012.

(Image provided with Airbus Helicopters news release)

FMI: www.airbus.com