AHI unveils expansion plans

COLUMBUS, Miss. - Airbus Helicopters Inc. officials announced Jan. 16 an expansion of its connected services, delivery, and training services in 2019; and reiterated the significance of an upcoming contract award for the Navy to produce the H135 training helicopters. The Industrial Center of Excellence facility in the Golden Triangle region builds H125 commercial helicopters; UH-72A Lakota helicopters for the Army; and custom-built helicopters for commercial clients. But the Columbus-based facility is probably best known for producing the Lakotas for the Army. The facility generally builds two per month; and to date, AHI has produced a total of 437 Lakotas. In total, more than 1,300 aircraft have come from the Columbus facility. The plant helped generate $7.9B in revenue in 2018. Parent company Airbus Group is planning for other expansions such as private and business aviation, says Scott Tumpak, VP of military affairs. Connected services and pilot training programs will also be expanding. Last October, AHI showcased the H135 to the Navy at NAS Whiting Field, Fla., for a replacement training helicopter. On Jan. 22, the Navy is tentatively scheduled to announce interest for a new military contract for training helicopters. The Lakota is the training aircraft most used for the Navy's Advanced Test Pilot School in Maryland. If the Navy awards the contract to AHI, the H135 helicopter would be produced in Columbus for initial pilot training. (Source: Daily Journal 01/16/19)