ECL is responsible for some 540 aircraft based all over Canada and is therefore an integral part of the Canadian helicopter industry. Last year, 60% of sales of singleengine aircraft in Canada were made by ECL—placing the company well ahead of its nearest rival. ECL delivered 27 helicopters in 2008, including its 500th delivery: The first AS355 NP AStar to be operated in Canada.
The subsidiary’s 150 customers perform every type of helicopter mission in a country where, during the winter months, the helicopter is the only viable means of transport in the frozen provinces of the north. ECL has a 62%, a 75% and an 80% share of the aerial work, corporate transport and parapublic markets respectively, and the company’s most prestigious customers include the Coast Guard (16 BO105s delivered since 1985) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which has been operating a fleet of AS350 B3 AStars since 1998. Furthermore, two Canadian customers have already ordered a total of nine EC175s.
In terms of resources, Eurocopter Canada now has a 12,600 m² plant in Fort Erie, which is home to 240 highly-qualified employees. The company provides extensive sales and support services, including assembly activities, repairs, training, retrofits and conversions. ECL also fits out interiors, distributes spares, and installs equipment and optional equipment. Finally, ECL is the only Eurocopter subsidiary that produces composite structural components for the assembly lines in Europe.
Eurocopter Canada’s current sights are set on developing sales of the latest generation of twin-engine aircraft (the AS355 NP AStar and the EC135) in Canada, and conquering the military market. So after twenty-five years, the company is still going strong!