Image provided by: Airbus Helicopters Canada
Airbus Helicopters Canada Limited (AHCL) celebrates its 40-years of existence this year. The company that ultimately became AHCL was formed in 1984 at Fort Erie, Ontario under the name MBB Helicopter Canada Limited and started life as a wholly owned by Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), a German aerospace company formed as the result of several mergers in the late 1960s.
In mid-1993, the company was restructured as Eurocopter Canada Limited following the merger of the helicopter divisions of Aérospatiale of France and Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG (DASA), which incorporated MBB.
Airbus Helicopters Canada was formed in February 2014 following the global rebranding of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) as the Airbus Group and rebranding of Eurocopter as Airbus Helicopters.
The story of Airbus Helicopters in Canada can be traced back to 1958 when the first turbine-powered civil helicopter in North America – a French-built Sud Aviation SE3130 Alouette II – was delivered to Autair Helicopters in Montreal.
In the 1960s, this was followed by the delivery of the first SA316B Alouette III in Canada to the Department of Transport followed by a host of other French-designed helicopter models including the SA315B Lama, SA342G Gazelle, AS365N Dauphin, SA330J Puma, AS350B AStar/Squirrel, AS355 TwinStar, and AS332L Super Puma
The company’s Canadian milestones also include the delivery of the first twin-engine German designed MBB Bo 105 in Canada in 1974, the formation of MBB Helicopter Canada Limited in 1984, and the delivery of the first BK117 in 1985.
The French and German helicopter industries merged in 1992 under the Eurocopter banner in 1992 and Eurocopter Canada Limited was formed in mid-1993.
Airbus Helicopters Canada gained market share with single and twin-engine models accounting for more than 50 percent of new Canadian commercial and para-public deliveries during the past 15 years.
All totaled, there are more than 150 Airbus Helicopters customers in Canada flying 731 in Canada supported from company headquarters in Fort Erie which also manufacturers parts for Airbus Helicopters in service throughout the World.
These remarkable flying machines play many essential roles in Canada supported the mining, oil and gas and forest industry, patrolled transmission lines and pipelines, fighting forest fires and monitoring wildlife, supporting ice breakers and scientific research, policing our communities and helping save lives.
