Air Greenland has placed its first order for Eurocopter's EC225, acquiring two of the medium twin-engine helicopters for duties that are to include search and rescue and all-weather passenger transport.

"After a long and hard evaluation, Air Greenland decided to purchase Eurocopter's EC225, and we are confident this is the right helicopter for our operations in the harsh environment in and around Greenland," ceo Michael Binzer says.

The aircraft will be delivered in 2014 and will join other Eurocopters in the Air Greenland fleet comprising ten AS350 B3 and two AS350 B2.

"This order marks a milestone in Eurocopter's long relationship with Air Greenland, and is another endorsement for the EC225's proven capabilities in the most severe operational conditions," Eurocopter's Thomas Hein says.

The EC225 also recently won a Spanish national competition to select a new helicopter for maritime search and rescue, and pollution control operations. This marks one of the first stages in a national rescue plan to be implemented by the Spanish Maritime Safety Agency (SASEMAR), and is designed to provide large helicopters for missions in the southern part of the Bay of Biscay and in the Canary Islands.

The new EC225 is to replace one of SASEMAR's Sikorsky S-61N helicopters, and will operate maritime SAR and surveillance operations in all weather conditions. Offering enhanced capacity, range and autonomy, the EC225 is equipped with cutting-edge technical innovations for navigation and SAR, says Eurocopter.

The twin-engine EC225 has already been deployed worldwide for civil and military search and rescue, as well as offshore and passenger transport missions. It is the latest generation of the Super Puma/ Cougar family, which has logged more than four million flight hours. It is designed to meet the highest safety standard levels and is backed by system redundancy, a highly capable automatic flight control system, and the capability for full de-icing which allows flight in all known icing conditions.