EADS Will Rebrand The Division Due To 'Success' Of Airbus Name

European aerospace giant EADS has announced it will rename its Eurocopter division "Airbus Helicopters" in a move it says reflects the global success of the brand.

Aerospace behemoth EADS announced this week that it plans to rename its highly successful Eurocopter division Airbus Helicopters as one of a number of changes being made to the company.  As part of a move to align its brand with its aircraft manufacturing division, the company will be known simply as Airbus Group, with Eurocopter becoming Airbus Helicopters and its defense and space divisions Cassidian and Astrium merging into one unit known as Airbus Defense and Space.

The announcement came after the company board approved the proposal from CEO Tom Enders following a strategic review he had headed. More plans will be revealed at a later date for the transition to Airbus Group, which will happen by the end of the year. The renaming of Eurocopter comes as the brand makes considerable gains in the global market with new contracts for luxury helicopters being signed in the US, Brazil and Asia.

The company says it is already the number one supplier in Europe and responsible for manufacturing helicopters within the Heli Securite fleet.

"Eurocopter has grown to be the most international company in the EADS group. Over the past decade we have developed our international footprint in the most emerging markets and are also well known in key countries such as the U.S., Brazil and even in Asia," Eurocopter CEO Guillaume Faury said in a news release. "Our name no longer limits itself to just Europe.

"Even though you will soon know us under a different name, the scope of Eurocopter's activities and of the company itself will be unchanged. We will remain a fully-fledged helicopter division so we can continue to draw on the synergies provided by the civil and military versions of our aircraft."

FMI: www.eurocopter.com