New Subsidiary Will Address Customer Needs In Busy Market

The latest subsidiary of EADS, Eurocopter Japan, was recently created to better coordinate the company's network and sales activities in Japan. Along with EADS partner EuroHeli, the company's goal is to better address customer needs in a market Eurocopter presently dominates: the company holds more than 50 percent of the Japanese civil and public market, with a fleet of 355 helicopters currently in service in Japan.

According to a company press release, Eurocopter currently serves such high-profile customers as the Japan Defense Agency, the National Police Agency, and the Tokyo Fire department. Those customers fly a range of Eurocopter designs, from Super Pumas and Dauphins, down the range to the EC135. The company also recently sold the newest version of the Super Puma, the EC225, to be used in transporting the Japanese Emperor, as well as foreign heads-of-state.

Also proving to be a success is the six-to-nine seat BK117 helicopter, developed jointly with Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI). More than 60 BK117s are in operation in Japan alone, and more than 450 have been sold in the entire world. Both companies recently announced to pursue the venture in the form of a new version, the EC145/BK117 C2.

Stephane Ginoux will be Eurocopter Japan's CEO, as well as Managing Director of EuroHeli.

FMI: www.eads-nv.net