Helicopter company rebrands and transforms

19th September 2014

By: Keith Campbell

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

  

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The recently rebranded Airbus Helicopters Southern Africa (AHZA, previously Eurocopter Southern Africa Limited, or ESAL) is, in parallel with the rebranding, undergoing a transformation to improve its service to its customers. The rebranding process follows the restructuring of Airbus Group (formerly EADS), in which Eurocopter, the then ESAL’s parent company, became Airbus Helicopters.

AHZA receives new helicopters from its parent company in Europe and then paints them, modifies them and equips them as required by customers. It also undertakes maintenance, repair and overhaul of Airbus Helicopter models. In addition it has training facilities for mechanics, technicians and pilots, including a Super Puma simulator.

“The [AHZA] rebranding took effect on September 2,” notes AHZA GM Arnaud Montalvo. “It’s a full rebranding, covering the entire image of the company: new name, new logo – all to the Airbus Group theme – a simple, clean logo with the Airbus name, but retaining the small helicopter silhouette from Eurocopter.”

“Airbus is known worldwide for the safety, quality and reliability of its products,” he points out. “It makes really modern, safe and cost-effective aircraft. These three axes – safety, quality and competitiveness – are the axes around which we are transforming [AHZA]. We want to deliver more than good products. We want to deliver customer satisfaction.”

The local operation is improving its spares supply service. It is implementing a new spares demand forecasting system, which should improve spares availability. “This is one of the critical aspects in terms of customer satis-faction,” he observes. In addition, at its main facility at Grand Central Airport, in Midrand (halfway between Johannesburg and Pretoria – in South Africa, the company also has a facility at Cape Town International Airport), AHZA is putting in place lean processes and associated tools in its workshop to increase efficiency and reduce turnaround times.

It already has its own, well-established, design team which can and does develop Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) for AS350 Squirrel helicopters. STCs cover modifications to existing, certified aircraft types. This capability means that AHZA can develop customer-specific modifications for these helicopters. “We can customise a Squirrel for probably any mission configuration,” he affirms. “We have developed as a centre of excellence for AS350B3 Squirrel helicopters.”

Further, the company is expanding its presence in its markets. AHZA covers Southern, Central and East Africa and the Indian Ocean island States, and its new facility in Kenya is now in operation. It is determined to increase its field support, in both commercial and technical terms, to customers operating in remote areas.

“We also customise and supply [AS350 Squirrel] helicopters to countries outside our region,” reports Montalvo. “The way it works is that Airbus Helicopters comes to us, because of our expertise with the AS350B3, to satisfy the needs of their customers.”

The AS350 family, of which the AS350B3e is the latest version (‘e’ stands for ‘enhanced’, that is, greater engine power), remains the best-selling product in AHZA’s area. “But Africa has started to follow the global trend and move from single-engine to twin-engine operations,” he points out. “We have successfully introduced the [twin-engine] EC135 and EC145 [in our markets].”

In the single-engine category, the company recently introduced the EC130T2, which replaces the EC130B4 type. The -T2 version has a new engine giving more power, a redesigned airframe, an improved cockpit layout, a new vibration dampening system, a new air- conditioning system (important in hot and cold climates) and improved comfort. “The EC130T2 is coming into our markets quite well,” observes Montalvo. “Our only problem is getting slots on the production line – there is heavy demand for the -T2 in North America, especially for the tourist market.”

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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