Airbus Helicopters and Babcock have secured a significant contract to maintain and support 48 EC145 helicopters utilized by the French Ministry of Interior. The 12-year agreement, commencing this year, was formalized with the Direction de la Maintenance Aéronautique (DMAé), the entity responsible for aircraft maintenance within the French government.
Romain Trapp, Executive Vice President of Customer Support and Services at Airbus Helicopters, emphasized the pivotal role played by the Sécurité Civile and Gendarmerie Nationale in safeguarding French communities. He expressed pride in the contract, viewing it as a testament to the partners’ trust and an affirmation of their enduring collaboration. Trapp underscored their commitment to ensuring the uninterrupted availability of the EC145s for critical missions.
The contract encompasses maintenance services for the 33 EC145s operated by the Sécurité Civile and the 15 EC145s operated by the Gendarmerie air forces, stationed across 41 bases in France, including five in overseas territories. It includes technical support, on-site industry representatives, spare parts supply, logistics solutions, technical data management, and software support.
Airbus Helicopters and Babcock are dedicated to ensuring the readiness of the Sécurité Civile and Gendarmerie EC145s for their essential roles in serving the French populace. These helicopters are instrumental in search and rescue, emergency medical services, firefighting, and law enforcement operations.
Furthermore, Airbus is actively involved in modernizing the Sécurité Civile and Gendarmerie helicopter fleets. Sécurité Civile has already incorporated four new H145s ordered in 2021, supported by Airbus Helicopters and Babcock. Additionally, a contract was finalized in late 2023 for 42 H145s for the French Ministry of Interior, with deliveries slated to commence in 2024.
