Airbus Helicopters (www.airbus.com) has expanded its industrial footprint and strategic partnership with China with the opening of an H135 final-assembly line (FAL) in Qingdao.

This factory is the first helicopter FAL to be built by a foreign manufacturer in China, as well as the first H135 facility outside Europe.

The opening of the factory follows a co-operation agreement signed by Airbus Helicopters and China in 2016, covering the purchase of 100 H135s destined for the Chinese market (95 of them will be assembled at the Qingdao plant).

Components including the main fuselage, main gearbox kits and rear fuselage will be shipped to Qingdao from Airbus sites in Germany and Spain.

The 6,500m² Qingdao plant will employ around 40 people, 23 of whom have received on-the job training in Germany. The first helicopter roll-out from Qingdao is expected to take place in the second half of 2019.