Photo: Airbus – Mike ReynoNiagara Helicopters has placed an order for six H130 helicopters, confirming a full fleet renewal for the tourism company based in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Each year, the company welcomes more than 100,000 customers from all over the world, providing a 9min, 27km sightseeing tour over Niagara Falls.
Denis Pilon, chief operating officer for Niagara Helicopters, said: “In order to continue to deliver a first-class visitor experience, we felt it was time to upgrade our aircraft. After nearly 10 years of working with Airbus Helicopters, we are confident that the H130 continues to be the ideal aircraft for our operation. We are pleased to be working with the Airbus team again. We look forward to many more years of cooperation and collaboration.”
Dwayne Charette, president and COO of Airbus Helicopters in Canada, said: “We are honoured that Niagara Helicopters has once again put their trust in Airbus, as they work to deliver exceptional experiences for visitors to the Niagara region. They are an esteemed partner and we are delighted they have chosen Airbus as their exclusive helicopter provider since 2015.”
The helicopter of choice for tourism, the H130 has a wide, unobstructed cabin which accommodates the pilot and up to seven passengers, providing outstanding visibility through a large wrap-around windscreen and wide windows. Its ‘state of the art’ technologies, materials, systems and avionics make it a quiet and powerful helicopter. A single-engine helicopter, the H130 is known for its widespread use with sightseeing services, charter operators and emergency medical services.
In addition to the H130’s panoramic seating, the active vibration control system and improved air conditioning contribute to its unbeatable level of comfort. This rotorcraft also offers the most economical operating cost per seat in its class. With the open-space cabin, passengers enjoy spectacular views from their forward-facing seats.
Rear passengers are comfortably seated on a raised theatre-style platform. The H130 is a member of the Ecureuil family, which represents 47% of the Airbus-built in-service helicopter fleet worldwide, and has accumulated over 40 million flight hours.