The Rescue and Salvage Bureau (CRS) of the Chinese Ministry of Transport (MOT) has signed for two Airbus Helicopters H175s for search and rescue work. The aircraft will perform SAR missions in one of the world's busiest areas for marine traffic – seven of the 10 busiest container ports in the world are located in China – and the H175s will also cover offshore areas such as the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea. Such heavily populated waters mean that pilots must always be prepared for the unexpected. The H175's SAR configuration was chosen for its endurance, long range, flexible cabin and the Helionix avionics system which eases pilot workload and improves situational awareness.

The MOT/CRS has been an important Airbus customer in China for more than 10 years, and today it flies four H225s. It operates four main air bases along China's coast: Shanghai, Penglai, Xiamen and Zhuhai. This selection of the H175 SAR version follows the one of the Government Flying Service of Hong Kong, which took delivery of the first multi-service configuration in June 2018.

“The H175 is proving its place as a trusted partner for maritime search and rescue missions, as we're seeing today in China,” says Airbus Helicopters CEO Bruno Even. “Thanks to the Chinese MOT/CRS's continued confidence in Airbus, and our close partnership with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, the H175 will aid additional rescue personnel in saving more lives and vessels in distress along China's coastline.”

The H175 is suited to perform a wide range of public services missions such as search and rescue, emergency medical services, law enforcement and firefighting as well as land and maritime border control operations, and can be configured in more than 20 different ways. Today the type is in operation in the Netherlands, the UK, Denmark, Thailand, Australia, Mexico and Hong Kong.