Air Transport

Eurocopter has opened a subsidiary in Moscow to market and support its products in Russia and lead its plans to increase co-operation on new helicopter programmes.

The European manufacturer has sold around 35 new and used helicopters in Russia since 2000 and says the number is “increasing constantly”. Eurocopter Vostok is to organise a reliable fleet-support system, which it says “should naturally lead to increased sales”. A network of support centres, initially at Moscow, St Petersburg, Tyumen and Sakhalin, is planned.

Eurocopter Vostok will also “become involved in industrial co-operation programmes with the aim of integrating Russian components on to Eurocopter helicopters”. Initially, non-structural components will be incorporated, such as communications equipment, with no change to the standard aircraft, and Eurocopter says “deeper integration projects are envisaged”.

Eurocopter claims to be the biggest Western supplier of turbine helicopters to Russia, with sales into the government, corporate and oil industry sectors.

JULIAN MOXON / LONDON