Tarmac Aviation, part of European Helicopter Holding, has acquired its fifth Ecureuil AS350 B3. The helicopter will be used for transporting material with a cargo hook, as well as vip passenger transportation.

The managed aircrat will be based at Lugano International Airport in Switzerland and will operate in the southern part of the Alps, close to the Italian border.

According to Tarmac’s Miriam Zaniboni, the aircraft is the best on the market for working in mountainous regions. It also provides them with good flexibility for vip flights to St Moritz, Zermatt and Milan airports, seating five passengers and the pilot.

The company’s pilots are trained in Lugano with Tarmac’s training pilot, a former military instructor in the Swiss Army. In 2007, the helicopter will operate in Valencia, when it will fly exclusively for Alinghi.