At the recent 2012 Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (also known as "ABACE 2012") held in Shanghai, China, Mr. Bruno Boulnois -- CEO of Eurocopter China -- was very kind by giving CARNOC.com & WCARN.com the exclusive opportunity to share his view on a number of industry issues as well as some insights into Eurocopter China's successful operations in recent years.

Simon Li, CARNOC.com & WCARN.com: Thanks for accepting our interview, Mr. Boulnois. Our first question is that why has Eurocopter decided to be here at ABACE 2012?

Bruno Boulnois, Eurocopter China: Clearly, ABACE is a very well-known event worldwide, and for organizers to select Shanghai this time signifies the business aviation market is doubtlessly growing rapidly here in China and Eurocopter is very familiar with this market, so it was an easy decision to join and come to ABACE. Furthermore, as a Shanghai-based subsidiary (Note: Eurocopter China's head office is in Shanghai), there is little hesitation for us to come and participate in this important event.

Simon Li, CARNOC.com & WCARN.com: Basically we have seen a tremendous growth here in China in terms of general aviation, particularly the helicopter market, in the last few years, so what do you expect to see with the Chinese market over the next decade, especially for Eurocopter?

Bruno Boulnois, Eurocopter China: Well, the market is really growing extremely quickly now, and given the recent move of several encouraging policies on aviation development announced by the Chinese government, we think it will continue to boom and our latest expectation is that at least 1,000 helicopters will be flying here in the coming 5-10 years and business/private helicopters are certainly going to be a large proportion. Here at Eurocopter, we believe great helicopter product with high-value customized solutions will definitely win the heart of many satisfied customers in the particular market segment.

Simon Li, CARNOC.com & WCARN.com: There has been quite a bit use of helicopters for public services in China over the recent years. For instance, some government agencies have started to introduce helicopters for policing and fire rescue purpose, so do you see a big potential in this specific segment?

Bruno Boulnois, Eurocopter China: Yes, there are generally a few categories of customers for us based on different types of missions, and public services segment is definitely one of them as you mentioned. In China, this particular segment mostly refers to the use of helicopters by public service entities in large cities, so this covers everyday policing and surveillance etc. and it's very strong in China for the last half decade.

At Eurocopter, we do our best to take care of these customers and there are a number of great examples such as our customer relations with Shanghai Police. Besides, another really robust segment that has existed for the last decade or so here is the oil and gas exploration and related missions, and one of the best examples in this aspect is our ongoing relationship with one of our most valuable customers - CITIC Offshore Helicopter Co., Ltd. (also known as "COHC"). As for the field of search and rescue, which has been developing fairly quickly in recent times, is also an integral part of our business focus too.

However, except all these aforementioned aspects, which are primarily driven by government or official organizations, what we are now seeing is another quickly emerging trend - the private and business helicopter markets, which take up some of the most significant portions in the general aviation industry. In this segment, Eurocopter also has a budding relationship with a local partner Zhong Ou. ZHONG-OU's VIP customized helicopters are manufactured by EUROCOPTER in its assembly lines in Europe and fitted with Luxury Cabin Interior equipments designed by ZHONG-OU in China. This partnership between ZHONG-OU and EUROCOPTER will give new opportunities to the customer on the helicopter business aviation in China.

Simon Li, CARNOC.com & WCARN.com: Could you please share with us on some of the unique things Eurocopter does in order to take care of its clientele here in China?

Bruno Boulnois, Eurocopter China: The key success of Eurocopter in terms of looking after our customers is ultimately the tremendous supporting services we offer, and not that only we provide them within much closer approximates than many others but the range of supports available such as spare parts, maintenance and training are highly comprehensive so that our clients and helicopter users can get the whatever supports they require in a timely, closely and responsively manner. For instance, we will set up the very first helicopter simulator for pilot training in China within the next few months. All of these are once again proving our strong confidence in the fast-growing Chinese market and Eurocopter is firmly committed to foster future market development and growth here.