European aerospace manufacturer Airbus on Wednesday announced that it has awarded a contract for manufacturing the main fuselage assembly of the H130 helicopter to Mahindra Aerostructures Pvt. Ltd. in India.

Mahindra will produce the H130’s main fuselage assembly, which will then be shipped to Airbus Helicopters’ facilities in Europe. The manufacturing will commence immediately, with the first cabin assembly scheduled for delivery by March 2027.

“We have a strategic plan for India and we are implementing it to develop a holistic aerospace ecosystem across all dimensions: assembly, manufacturing, engineering, innovation, digital and training,” said Rémi Maillard, President and Managing Director Airbus India and South Asia.

“The H130 fuselage manufacturing contract underscores Airbus’ confidence in the growing industrial excellence of the Indian supply chain, which offers the right mix of competencies and competitiveness. We are glad to extend this bond with India through our latest association with our partner Mahindra Aerostructures,” Maillard added.

Mahindra already supplies a variety of parts and sub-assemblies for Airbus’ commercial aircraft programmes and the latest contract is a continuous expansion of its portfolio of capabilities that now includes larger and more complex aerostructures.

Last October, Airbus’ inaugurated its Final Assembly Line for the C295 military aircraft in Vadodara. It has also announced a Final Assembly Line for the H125 helicopter but the location is yet to be announced.

The H130 is an intermediate single-engine helicopter used for passenger transport, tourism and private and business aviation, as well as medical airlift and surveillance missions.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)