Airbus Helicopters celebrated a major milestone last week with the roll-out of the 700th H130 light single-engine helicopter, which will be operated by a private customer.

The H130 fleet has so far accumulated more than 1.8M flight hours with 340 operators worldwide. Since entry into service of the first EC130 in 2001, this light single engine helicopter has continued to evolve to better respond to customer's expectations, with the latest H130 variant being certified in 2012. Since the beginning of this year, all H130s are produced with a glass cockpit for increased pilot awareness and enhanced safety.

Offering a spacious and comfortable cabin, low sound levels, the best visibility and the lowest operating cost per passenger in its class, the H130 is a reference for passenger transport and tourism operations around the world. It is also widely used for other missions including emergency medical services, private and business aviation and aerial work.

Contributed by Airbus Helicopters