Airbus Helicopter's Southeast Asia Maintenance Hub
Airbus Helicopters opened its 800 square meter maintenance shop, located around 9 km from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, in 2008 to service the region's fleet in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Mynanmar.
Capabilities
The maintenance shop services every type of Airbus helicopter, with the exception of two models: the Eurocopter Tiger and the NH90. Its capabilities range from individual maintenance tasks to full service overhauls.
Southeast Asia's Helicopter Market is Growing
According to Airbus data, Thailand has around 350 commercial and military helicopters in operation. It says 68 of them are manufactured by Airbus, with around 50% of those orders coming in the past 10 years.
Marketshare
This makes Airbus the market leader for Thailand, with a 42% share of the helicopter segment in the country.
Thailand's Only Helicopter OEM
Airbus Helicopters also as the distinction of being the only helicopter OEM servicing helicopters in Thailand.
Room for Four Helicopters
The facility has capacity for four helicopters at any one time. Typically, Airbus Helicopters Thailand will run to around 80% capacity in terms of manpower.
New Capabilities Being Considered
As the result of a Thai government-led initiative, Airbus Helicopters partnered with Thai Aviation Industries aimed at raising local capabilities. Airbus Helicopters Thailand is now looking to add new capabilities to its workshop, including retrofit programs and customization work.
As Aviation Week's European MRO editor, James Pozzi covers the latest industry news from the European region and beyond. He also writes in-depth features on the commercial aftermarket for Inside MRO.
