Helicopters Airbus Helicopters H160 receives EASA approval

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has officially issued the type certificate for the Airbus Helicopters H160 rotorcraft. This is a new milestone for the manufacturer, who expects the certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to follow shortly.

EASA Certification Director Rachel Daeschler commented: “The successful completion of the H160 Type Certificate is the result of several years of tremendous work and efforts accomplished jointly by the involved technical teams of the Agency and Airbus Helicopters in a remarkable fruitful cooperation spirit [...] It is the result of thorough design and testing efforts, to ensure the highest safety standards are reached. The design of the H160 makes it suitable for a wide range of versatile missions. It is also one of the most environmentally friendly with respect to fuel consumption and one of the quietest helicopters of its class.”

Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO added: “We are proud that the H160 has received its EASA type certificate. This achievement represents years of hard work designing, industrializing and defining the support ecosystem with our suppliers and partners and I would like to thank everyone who has dedicated their time and energy to turning this next generation helicopter into reality [...] I now look forward to the H160 entering into service and offering its innovative features that bring competitiveness alongside additional comfort and safety to customers worldwide.”

For the testing and certification phase, Airbus used three H160 helicopters. A first serial aircraft and two additional test beds were used to perform different flight tests to ensure a maximum of safety when in normal operations. In total, the test aircraft fleet flew over 1500 hours.

Airbus designed the H160 as a multi-role helicopter that is able to perform a wide range of missions. The manufacturer expects customers to use the aircraft for missions like offshore transportation, private and business aviation public services or emergency or medical services.

Deliveries are now allowed to commence for customers in Europe and Airbus is hoping to receive the needed type certificates from the United States to fully celebrate the entry into service.