Beijing Automotive Industrial Corporation signs multi-year contract for AgustaWestland Helicopters

Beijing Automotive Industrial Corporation (BAIC) of China has signed a multi-year contract for the purchase of 50 AgustaWestland helicopters of various models, including AW139, AW169 and AW189. Deliveries are scheduled to start in mid-2015 and continue through to 2019. The contract, that includes training, spare parts and technical support is valued around €400m, excluding customer selected options and mission equipment. The contract follows the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the companies in June this year and lays the foundation of a strategic partnership to serve the development of the growing Chinese para-public helicopter market. This will include a range of applications such as law enforcement, rescue, emergency medical service, firefighting and disaster relief. The partnership will evolve further with plans to provide local support, training and aircraft customization services.