By Lutz Bertling, CEO

Recent news sadly reminds us of the importance of flight safety. Safety has always been Eurocopter’s number one priority: It is our solemn pledge to repay the trust shown by thousands of passengers and crews who fly in our helicopters every day.
Because we know how important it is to listen attentively to you, our customers, Eurocopter teams once again organized an Oil and Gas Safety Conference which coincided with Heli-Expo 2009. Such conferences illustrate Eurocopter’s commitment to collaborating with oil and gas customers in order to develop robust safety programs that meet their safety needs and offer the highest quality products and services.
In terms of training, the new simulation equipment for the EC225 that recently became operational at Helisim, our training center, and that we will soon be introducing in the North Sea, Brazil and Malaysia is a clear example of our vow to continuously improve safety. Another example is the flight simulators we are introducing in Germany for the EC135 and the NH90 and in the United States for the EC145 and the EC135.
Furthermore, in November 2008, we performed several IFR, GPS-based connecting flights at low altitudes between two hospitals near Paris as part of a campaign to demonstrate safety enhancements for EMS flights.
We are also continuing to make efforts in innovation: As a member of the consortium behind the HeliSafe® TA project, we have played an active role in developing the HeliSafe® concept by contributing our expertise in several areas, especially in terms of parameter optimization for airbags and safety restraint systems. These safety devices, much like those used in cars, will play an essential role in the near future in reducing the risk of serious or fatal injuries in the event of an accident.
We are also developing new offers such as ALERTS Vision, an innovative flight data monitoring and cockpit imaging device that will soon be standard on Ecureuil family helicopters.
At Eurocopter, we are fully committed to safety as the most important aspect of our business.