South Asia is set to gain its first Airbus H125 virtual reality (VR) training centre after Indocopters Private Limited (ICPL) installs a Loft Dynamics H125 TXi VR full-motion sim at its Greater Noida headquarters in India, located near Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport.

The installation will create South Asia's first dedicated H125 VR training site, expanding pilot training capacity across the region as India builds local helicopter manufacturing, maintenance and training capability. It also comes as Airbus Helicopters and Tata Advanced Systems begin producing the H125 in India at the country's first private-sector helicopter final assembly line in Vemagal, Karnataka.

Indocopters, a helicopter MRO provider in the Indian subcontinent, supports operators across the region, helping keep helicopters airworthy and mission-ready. More than 80 H125 aircraft are already in service across India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, with demand for pilot training infrastructure expected to grow as the fleet expands.

Ajay Shah, CEO of Indocopters Private Limited, says: “The H125 is the backbone of multi-mission helicopter operations across the Indian subcontinent, supporting missions ranging from utility and corporate transport to emergency medical services, disaster response and high-altitude operations, often within the same fleet.”

He adds: “These demanding missions therefore require a very high level of pilot preparedness. The Loft Dynamics H125 flight training device will enable us to deliver realistic, safe and repeatable training for critical scenarios such as emergencies, adverse weather, confined-area landings and high-altitude operations.”

Indocopters will use the sim for Airbus H125 family type-specific training, emergency procedures, safety training tailored to the region's operating challenges and selected basic training. The system will support pilots across Indocopters, its affiliates including Global Vectra Helicorp Limited, and other operators across the region.

Loft Dynamics CEO Sebastien Borel says: “The next leap in aviation safety will not come only from better aircraft. It will come from giving pilots better ways to prepare.”

Sunny Guglani, head of Airbus Helicopters, India and South Asia, says: “The H125 plays a leading role in helicopter operations across India and South Asia, and its next growth chapter in the region depends on more than aircraft availability. It depends on the ecosystem around the aircraft; maintenance, parts, training and pilot readiness.”

Indocopters' H125 TXi VR full-motion sim will feature a six-degree-of-freedom motion system, an integrated glass cockpit, a 360-degree 3D VR environment and force-feedback controls, allowing pilots to practise normal and emergency procedures in a controlled setting. The compact system is smaller than traditional full-flight sims, making advanced training easier to locate closer to operators and pilots.