October 15, 2004
EADS had a high-profile presence at this week’s National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) 57th annual meeting & convention in Las Vegas, underscoring the company’s leading role in the corporate and VIP aviation sectors.
The annual NBAA gathering is the world’s largest business aviation show, and EADS’ decision to have its first-ever grouped exhibit at the event provided a focal point for corporate aviation products that range from helicopters and single-engine business aircraft to top-of-the-line corporate and VIP airliners.
Covering a total area of 7,200-sq. ft., the EADS exhibit brought together the displays of Airbus, American Eurocopter and Socata Aircraft.
The stand of American Eurocopter – which is an EADS North America business unit – showcased its popular EC 130 helicopter, a five-place rotary-wing aircraft that is well suited to the needs of corporate aviation operators across the United States. The EC 130 displayed in Las Vegas is owned and operated by Cirque Lodge of Sundance, Utah.
American Eurocopter recently scored a strategic contract win for the EC 120 when it was chosen by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency’s single-engine light observation helicopter mission requirement.
All 55 EC 120s ordered for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency will be assembled and customized at American Eurocopter’s new 85,500-sq. ft. facility in Columbus, Mississippi. This is the first time a Eurocopter production line with airframe manufacturing work will be established in the U.S., and it marks a new milestone in EADS North America’s strategy to expand its industrial presence and investment.
The NBAA display area for Socata Aircraft – which also is an EADS North America business unit – included a TBM 700C2, the latest version of the company’s single-engine turboprop corporate aircraft. The TBM 700C2 has a gross takeoff weight of 7,398 lb. and is able to carry five persons, along with baggage and a full fuel load.
NBAA provided the opportunity for Socata Aircraft to announce a new medical evacuation equipment option that allows the TBM 700 to carry one patient and two medical assistants to be carried on medivac missions. This option, called the Patient Loading Utility System (PLUS) is a self-contained module with full life support capabilities that can be installed aboard the TBM 700 in the same amount of time it takes to refuel the aircraft. A unique loading ramp allows the PLUS stretcher to be loaded through the door in a level position, and requires no lifting inside the aircraft.
Completing the EADS grouped exhibit at the NBAA convention was the display stand of Airbus – an EADS joint company with BAE Systems. The Airbus stand was dominated by a full-scale mockup of the passenger cabin for its Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ), which is based the best-selling A320 series of airliners.
At NBAA, Airbus announced record sales in 2004 for the ACJ Family, winning 10 orders and one commitment from January through October – the first year of double-digit sales for the corporate jetliner. Several of these aircraft already have been outfitted and delivered to their customers, and nearly 30 ACJ Family aircraft are now in service worldwide.
The business jet market is showing continued signs of recovery, and Airbus is establishing a new organization in the Americas to ensure it is responsive to current operators in the region and is ready to respond to new sales opportunities.
The North American sales and marketing team is being reinforced, and will be moved from Airbus North America headquarters near Washington, D.C. to Miami, Florida, where Airbus already has a major training center. The ACJ cabin mockup used for shows such as the NBAA convention will be installed in the Miami facility, providing a demonstration tool for customers and potential buyers.
Also exhibiting at NBAA was another EADS North America business unit – EADS Sogerma Barfield. Present elsewhere in the Convention Center, the Barfield stand highlighted the company’s test equipment products, along with its extensive repair and overhaul capabilities for radio equipment, oxygen systems, crew seats and accessories.
