On 24 July 2006, the INAER Group,  the European Leader in Land-Based Helicopter Operations, – created from the merger between Helicsa and Helisureste – signed a contract with Eurocopter for nine helicopters.
Interview with Luis Miñano, the INAER President.

What are INAER’s sectors of activity?
Luis Miñano: We primarily work for national and regional authorities, which generates 80% of our turnover.
We perform EMS, civil defense, sea rescue, fishery patrol, and fire fighting missions. As part of its private activities, Helisureste transports passengers between Ceuta and Malaga, and to Malta.
The nine aircraft that we ordered in July 2006 – an AS355NP Ecureuil, two AS350B3 Ecureuils, four EC135s, and two EC145s – will be used to fight fires, perform surveillance, and carry out EMS and mountain rescue duties.

Where are these missions performed?
L. M.: We have expanded our activities over the last few years, and while the majority of our operations are still based in Spain, we also perform medical transport missions in Portugal and Italy. We are also going to open a member company of the INAER group in Chile in the next few months, which will specialize in fire fighting. Our headquarters is in Alicante, but we have 20 other bases at the main Spanish airports.

Why did INAER choose Eurocopter?
L. M.: We have been working with Eurocopter for more than 40 years now through the company Helicsa, and we have chosen Eurocopter aircraft to modernize our fleet in the years ahead. The deliveries will begin in June 2007 when the three Ecureuils arrive and will end in January 2009 with the final delivery of the EC145.
We took our time because we wanted to make the right decision, and what won us over was the technological superiority of the Eurocopter helicopters and their low maintenance costs. INAER has become a European leader in land-based helicopter operations, and the modernization of our fleet will allow us to pursue our expansion towards neighboring countries: our goal is to become the biggest operator in Europe.