Dallas – February 26, 2006 – HAI 2006
Yellowknife, NT: Great Slave Helicopters (www.greatslaveheli.com), one of Northern Canada’s largest commercial helicopter fleet operators, has once again purchased more Eurocopters to expand its 64 rotorcraft fleet. Specifically, the Yellowknife NT operator – which provides aerial transport to projects such as the Mackenzie Delta oil pipeline —
has enhanced their fleet purchase by two trios of Eurocopters: each including an AS-350B2, an AS350B3, and an EC-130. The first trio will be delivered in April, 2006; the second a year later. This brings the total number of aircraft confirmed in the current fleet purchase to 8 AS350’s. GSH has options for an additional 6 Eurocopter single and twin engine helicopters for delivery over the next three years.
“We buy Eurocopters because our customers demand them,” says Adam Bembridge, President of Great Slave Helicopters. “They like the spacious cabins, the front-facing seats, the great visibility, and the quiet that Eurocopters provide in flight. As well, the proven safety of the Eurocopter product, their reliability, and the support we get from Eurocopter Canada for our current rotorcraft were all factors in convincing us to buy these new aircraft. Besides, interest rates are relatively low, so we thought it was a great time to modernize our fleet.”
Covering a territory that encompasses thousands of square miles in Canada’s remote Western Arctic, Great Slave Helicopters must use aircraft that are tough, powerful, and mission-flexible. After all, supporting pipeline construction, oil and gas exploration, and diamond mining requires helicopters capable of working in a wide range of altitudes and climate conditions.
“We often have to execute vertical reference drill moves, in order to get the rigs into heavily-treed areas,” says Bembridge. “Flying commercially in the Western Arctic is not for the faint-of-heart. That’s why we rely on Eurocopters to do the job for us, and why we are enhancing our fleet by adding more of them.”
“Great Slave Helicopters is precisely the kind of customer that we are honored to serve,” says Edouard Gaillat, President of Eurocopter Canada Ltd… “Faced with some of the most challenging flying conditions in the world, Great Slave Helicopters does its job with professionalism, organization, and a real dedication to customer safety and satisfaction. To be playing a key role in this company’s future, and to be trusted by them, means that we are doing our job right at Eurocopter Canada; both in the rotorcraft we build, and the support we provide.”
Eurocopter Canada Limited (www.eurocopter.ca) is a subsidiary of Eurocopter. Eurocopter Canada based in Fort Erie, Ontario has customer support centres in Vancouver, British Columbia and Montreal, Quebec. Eurocopter is the world’s leading helicopter manufacturer, the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer. In 2005 Eurocopter generated revenues of € 3.21 billion and employed a workforce of 12,500 worldwide. The company offers the broadest range of helicopters in the industry. More than 9,500 Eurocopter helicopters are in service in 139 countries with 2,500 customers.
Eurocopter is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EADS. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2004, EADS generated revenues of € 31.8 billion and employed a workforce of about 110,000. The EADS Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world’s largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and the joint venture MBDA, the international leader in missile systems. EADS is the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium, is the prime contractor for the Ariane launcher, develops the A400M military transport aircraft and is the largest industrial partner for the European satellite navigation system Galileo.
| For more information, please contact: | |
| Laura SENECAL Tel : + 905 871-7772 Fax :+ 905 871-3599 laura.senecal[at]eurocopter.ca Eurocopter Canada Limited |
Jean Louis ESPES Tel : + 33 (0)4 42 85 95 55 Fax :+ 33 (0)4 42 85 95 64 jean-louis.espes[at]eurocopter.com Eurocopter |
| Christina GOTZHEIN Tel : + 49 (0) 89 6000 64 88 Fax :+ 49 (0) 89 6000 44 37 christina.gotzhein[at]eurocopter.comEurocopter Deutschland GmbH |
Jesus RUIZ Tel: +34 91 379.66.04 Fax: +34 91 379 66 10 jesus.ruiz[at]eurocopter.com Eurocopter España, S.A |
| Christopher BACH Tel.: +49 (0) 906 71 45 65 Fax : +49 (0) 906 71 39 39 christopher.bach[at]eurocopter.com Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH |
|
Website: www.eurocopter.com
