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Read this story in our July 2022 printed issue.
An Airbus ACH160 Line Lounge has recently been sold to a Brazilian customer by Helibras. Intended for private transport, the helicopter will be the third ACH160 sold in the country to two different customers, and the first with the new ACH Line Lounge interior. Brazil-based helicopter manufacturer Helibras is a wholly owned subsidiary of Airbus Helicopters.
The ACH160 family is designed in three versions; Line, Line Lounge and Exclusive, to meet the different needs of this demanding market, with different levels of customisation.
The Line Lounge version features two ACH benches with modular seating capacity for four, six or eight people, or two forward-facing armchairs with rear-facing central cabinet and bench. It is customised with a unique interior colour palette, a combination of smooth and perforated leather for cabin and cockpit seats, satin carbon finish inserts in the central areas of the roof and niche armrests on the windows, as well as satin brushed metal insert and luxury carpet in the cabin and the cargo area.
“The good acceptance by Brazilian executives of the values of the ACH brand also highlights the global attractiveness of our corporate helicopter offer to meet the growing travel needs of our customers,” says Helibras president Jean-Luc Alfonsi. “We are equally excited to see our ACH160 succeed in the well-positioned Brazilian executive market.”
The ACH160 is the premium version of the new H160 helicopter that was certified by EASA in July and will be ready for deliveries to private and corporate customers from the end of this year. It is the newest member of the ACH family and the most technologically advanced helicopter in its class. It offers 20 per cent more volume per passenger compared to the previous generation helicopters of the same category, and 35 per cent larger windows than its competitors.
According to data from the Brazilian General Aviation Association (ABAG), there are more than 2,500 airports and 1,300 helipads in Brazil used by corporate aviation services via jets, turboprops, piston aircraft and helicopters.
