VIETNAMESE COMPANY PURCHASES 4 HELICOPTERS FROM EUROCOPTER

By Zakaria Abdul Wahab

SINGAPORE, Feb 5 (Bernama) -- A Vietnamese company that is providing a new
flight charter service for tourism and VIP transport has purchased four
helicopters from Eurocopter.

Vinacopter is buying the helicopters for its newly created subsidiary
HeliVietnam.

The new company will get a fleet of one AS355NP, a new generation light twin
engine helicopter, two high performance single engine AS350B3 aircraft and one
twin engine EC135.

Eurocopter South East Asia (ESEA) announced Friday that it had signed its
first contract with Vinacopter for the purchase of the four helicopters.

ESEA said the delivery of the AS355NP is scheduled for the first half of
2010 while the remainder of the fleet will be delivered in the second half of
2011.

ESEA president Dr Bernhard Brenner said Vietnam is a very important growth
market for the company in Asia as its product range perfectly matches the
requirements for civil missions.

"We are proud that Vinacopter has chosen to build its fleet using Eurocopter
aircraft and we know that our helicopters will deliver the reliable and
efficient performance needed for Vinacopter's success," he said.

The contract signing followed the announcement made earlier this week by
Eurocopter at the ongoing Singapore Airshow that Vietnam would be a key focus
area and growth driver for the company in 2010.

Eurocopter currently holds 50 per cent of the civil and parapublic
helicopter fleet in Vietnam.
-- BERNAMA