Eurocopter Claims Strong Sales, Wants to Do Better in Business

American Eurocopter had figured to hit New Orleans hard this past September, as president & CEO Rudy Palladina acknowledged that despite the company's success in the American marketplace, it could be doing better among business flyers.

"The corporate market is an area where we feel we have the best selection of airplanes, and it's a segment where we're not doing as well as we need to be," Palladina told Show News on the eve of the original event.

Counting various engine options, American Eurocopter offers more than a dozen helicopter models.

The product line ranges from the four-place EC120 single to the SA332 Super Puma twin-a twin-engine machine that can be configured to seat 12 in comfortable airline seats or as many as 20, or be outfitted with deluxe galley and other amenities for VIP or head-of-state service.

Besides a spate of police orders, American Eurocopter has this year talked up the sale of an AS350B3 Astar to computer sales entrepreneur Ed Kelly. It's to be used by him personally, and for video production work by his Hoverworks company.

Rod Lewis, president and CEO of San Antonio's Lewis Energy Group, also has an AS350B3. The helicopter is priced at $1.4 million.

Up the scale, American Eurocopter is predicting a doubling of deliveries of its new, $6 million to $7 million EC155 medium-lift twin next year, with four helicopters to be placed with North American customers.

EC155s have already been sold to media mogul Fred Drasner, and to Wayne Huizenga, who owns the Miami Dolphins.

A third EC155 has been sold to TAG Aviation.

American Eurocopter has opted out of this week's event. "We would rather demonstrate at their facility, in their environment," Palladina says of his basic sales strategy.

"We find it far more effective to schedule demonstrations at their site," he says of potential customers, "using it the way they would, on their geography." American Eurocopter has two EC120s for demonstration purposes.

The Texas-based unit of Europe's EADS aerospace conglomerate is notching another year of sales increases this year, boosting its share of a predominantly flat civil market to about 50%.

By Rich Piellisch