Indian state-owned Pawan Hans Helicopters plans to acquire four light and 10 medium capacity helicopters over the next five years.
Pawan Hans is believed to be considering the 11-seat Eurocopter AS365N1 Dauphin 2 to meet medium capacity requirements and the light Bell 407. Pawan Hans' 29-helicopter fleet already includes 19 Dauphins and two 407s, as well as other Bell, Robinson and Mil types.
The company provides services between remote towns in north east India. The new helicopters would be used for emergency medical services (EMS). The company won the EMS contract for Arunachal Pradesh state last year and is bidding for several other states' EMS operations. Pawan Hans has also provided helicopter support for the Indian scientific mission to Antarctica.
Source: Flight International
