France’s HeliDax has become the first customer for Airbus Helicopters’ HCare Classics support package, covering the operator’s fleet of 36 H120 Colibri light-singles.
HeliDax uses the H120s to provide basic and advanced training for the French and Belgian armed forces, and France’s Gendarmerie Nationale.
Over the past 14 years of its contract with the French government, HeliDax has maintained a 100% availability rate for its H120 fleet.
But Airbus Helicopters in 2017 killed off the H120 programme, potentially threatening that up-time achievement in the long term.
“To continue guaranteeing our fleet and service availability until the end of our contract with the government in 2030, it is essential to have a strong commitment from our major partner, Airbus Helicopters, in terms of support and obsolescence monitoring,” says HeliDax director Christian Prigentt.
HeliDax is based at the French Army Aviation school in Dax, southwest France.
“The HCare Classics contract secures our supply chain and replaces our acquisition of safety stocks.”
Launched in November last year, HCare Classics is dedicated to supporting Airbus Helicopters’ out-of-production types.
The manufacturer says there are more than 2,000 examples of its “legacy” helicopters still in service, including the H120, Dauphin, Puma and Gazelle.
