Two helicopters are being outfitted for vip corporate clients in Poland after Eurocopter's first sales in the country. Polish agent Heli Invest is to take delivery early next year of the two helicopters which it will manage for the clients, neither of which wished to be identified.

The sales represent the entry of Eurocopter's light twin engine helicopters into the Polish market. The Warsaw based agent expects to receive an EC135 in April and an EC145 in June, adding to a fleet of seven EC120B and EC130B4 helicopters.

The EC135, widely used for medical service and law enforcement, will be used by its owner to make daily flights to business locations around Europe. Eurocopter estimates that 16 per cent of deliveries to date have been to corporate buyers.

The EC145, widely used by the US army in homeland security operations and law enforcement, is also increasingly popular in the corporate market, Eurocopter reports. it says the aircraft destined for Heli Invest will be fitted with a glass cockpit and vip interior to give it a particularly large, unobstructed cabin.

The owner represents a group of associated companies that will use the EC145 to transport top executives around Poland.

Heli Invest will provide maintenance, upgrades, custom-isation, training and technical support. It says the corporate clients were attracted by the quietness, comfort and reliability of the aircraft.

Eurocopter is marketing the EC135 as a suitable aircraft for Poland's Ministry of Health helicopter emergency medical service. It is actively targeting emerging European markets. Earlier this year Eurocopter Vostok announced plans to establish three more maintenance centres in Russia during 2007,

having opened a Eurocopter service facility at Ostafievo airport near Moscow.

The company believes it is the first western helicopter manufacturer to implement full scale maintenance, repair and overhaul services for its aircraft in Russia.