Airbus Helicopters, Inc.
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace, Helicopter manufacturing |
| Predecessor | LTV Corporation (via Vought Helicopter Inc.), Aérospatiale Helicopter Corporation, American Eurocopter |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Headquarters | Grand Prairie, Texas , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Civil and military helicopters, including UH-72A Lakota |
| Parent | Airbus Americas, Inc. (part of Airbus SE) |
Airbus Helicopters, Inc. (AHI) functions as a subsidiary under Airbus Americas, Inc., the United States division of Airbus SAS, which is itself a component of the Dutch-based Airbus SE. Specializing in the design, production, and sales of a diverse array of civil helicopters, Airbus Helicopters maintains significant operations in Texas and Mississippi along with service centers across the country. The company manages over 860,000 square feet (79,900 m2) of facilities within the U.S., commanding a market share exceeding 50% domestically.
History
The foundation of AHI can be linked to the former LTV Corporation. In 1968, Vought Helicopter Inc. (VHI), a subsidiary of LTV, established a manufacturing site at Grand Prairie Municipal Airport in Texas to distribute helicopters from the French producer Aérospatiale. Aérospatiale took ownership of VHI in 1974, renaming it Aérospatiale Helicopter Corporation (AHC), and constructed the existing Grand Prairie plant in 1980.
After the 1992 merger between DASA and Aérospatiale that formed Eurocopter, AHC was rebranded as American Eurocopter. The Columbus facility in Mississippi commenced operations in 2004 and became responsible for assembling the U.S. Army's UH-72A Lakota helicopter by 2006. The company adopted its present name, Airbus Helicopters, Inc., on January 2, 2014.
US production plants
Airbus Helicopters maintains two primary manufacturing locations within the United States:
- Grand Prairie, Texas
- Serves as headquarters and main production site adjacent to Grand Prairie Municipal Airport.
- Contains North America's training center equipped with classrooms and full-motion flight simulators.
- Columbus, Mississippi
- Dedicated to maintenance, modernization, and customization services for all Airbus Helicopters models at Golden Triangle Regional Airport.
- Manufactures the military UH-72A Lakota helicopter.
- Since 2014, expanded to perform final assembly and testing for AS350 helicopters, with production targets reaching up to 60 units annually by 2016.