Airbus Celebrates 30 Years in South Africa, Enhances Local Helicopter Support

As Airbus marks its 30th anniversary in South Africa, the focus remains on offering more to customers and operators in the future, says Nam-Binh Hoang, Managing Director of Airbus Southern Africa.

Currently, around 500 helicopters are flying in South Africa, most of which are made by Airbus. Over the past three decades, Airbus has continuously enhanced its support for operators throughout the sub-Saharan African region.

Airbus helicopters perform various operations, including law enforcement, defense, mining, sightseeing tours, wildlife conservation, and private business.

Hoang emphasises the diverse services offered: “We do helicopter sales, completion and maintenance, spare parts sales, pilot training, technical support, and CAMO services.”

Challenging Altitudes in Africa

The African continent presents demanding environments for helicopters and crew. 

Operators face high temperatures and challenging altitudes, such as Johannesburg’s 1,700 meters. Yet, the H125 helicopter consistently performs well in these conditions, according to Hoang.

“The H125 works perfectly regardless of the conditions,” he notes. While the H125 remains a favourite, Hoang predicts the five-bladed H145 will soon make an impact, particularly in high and hot environments.

Proximity and Local Support

Airbus Helicopters in Africa strives to offer local support from South Africa. They provide blade repair capabilities, reducing the need for customers to send blades to distant locations.

Airbus invested in stock collections to shorten lead times and created maintenance kits for streamlined inspections.

A new virtual reality simulator, the first of its kind in Africa, will help pilots perfect their procedures safely on the ground. Hoang asserts, “We are not 10,000 km from their operations; we are their next-door neighbour, and they can find every service they need from here.”