Pawan Hans plans fleet expansion

Booming demand from India's tourism and offshore oil exploration markets has persuaded Pawan Hans, the Indian state-owned helicopter charter company, to add a further 20 helicopters to its fleet in the coming 12 months.
The New Delhi-based operator, which currently has a fleet size of 35, will invest 4.96 billion rupees ($126 million) to ride on the booming Indian economy, it was revealed at a parliamentary session on the country's civil aviation industry last week.
The company currently operates 17 Eurocopter SA365N Dauphins, nine Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphins, three Bell206s, one Robinson R-44, two Mil MI-172s and four Bell407s. Industry sources say that the company is likely to buy a combination of Eurocopter and Bell helicopters as part of its expansion.
Pawan Hans also plans to set up dedicated helipads in several Indian cities, including the capital New Delhi and financial centre Mumbai, with some investment from the private sector.
06/12/07 Siva Govindasamy/Flight International

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Categories: General Aviation Dec 2007