The Ukrainian Ministry of Interior has taken delivery of the first two H225s out of a 55-aircraft order with Airbus Helicopters that includes 21 H225s in total. One aircraft is destined for SAR missions, while the other one will be operated by the National Guard for law enforcement. The H225 helicopters were repurposed to suit these public service missions in just over three months. Another two will join the fleet in the coming weeks.

“Further to the intergovernmental agreement signed between Ukraine and France earlier this year, we are pleased to be celebrating the first deliveries," says minister of internal affairs Arsen Avakov. "This agreement for 55 helicopters enables Ukraine to provide its population with a complete range of helicopter services including search and rescue, emergency medical services, firefighting and law enforcement.

“Thanks to the excellent operational cooperation with Airbus, we will also set up a local training and maintenance centre in Ukraine to support our modernised fleet.”

Executive VP for support and services at Airbus Helicopters Matthieu Louvot adds: “We are pleased that these two H225s have landed in Ukraine in a record amount of time. Now that the pilots have completed their certification training in France, Ukraine can immediately take advantage of the excellent payload and range that the multi-purpose helicopter offers along with its state-of-the-art autopilot that provides precision while reducing crew workload in the most demanding mission conditions.

The first deliveries have taken place in the frame of the intergovernmental agreement contract signed in July 2018 for 55 aircraft, comprising 21 repurposed H225s, 10 factory-new H145s, and 24 H125s.

The H225 is already in service with organisations including the Japanese, Spanish and Argentine coast guards. Capable of completing a takeoff sequence in less than five minutes, the type has all-weather capability including in full icing conditions, SAR modes and autopilot precision. It is renowned for its endurance and cruise speed, and can be fitted with a wide range of mission equipment.

The H225 family has accumulated more than 640,000 flight hours to date.