All Nippon Helicopter H160 makes first flight

The first Airbus H160 destined for a Japanese customer made its first flight from Marignane-Marseille Provence Airport, France on 14 January 2021. The helicopter, flown with test registration F-WWOT is destined for All Nippon Helicopter (ANH) the launch customer for the H160 in Japan.

ANH has plans to renew its fleet, currently comprising of six AS365s and five H135s. These are used for electronic news gathering for the TV stations across Japan. This H160 will replace one of its AS365s.

The H160 was granted its type certificate by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in July 2020, with the certification from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) expected in early 2021. Upon delivery of the helicopter, specialised equipment installation and customisation will be performed at Airbus Helicopters’ Kobe facility, before its entry into service.

The companies active in Japanese news gathering are a potential interesting market for the Airbus H160. At this moment 87 helicopters dedicated for such missions are flying in Japan. Close to 70% of these helicopters are manufactured by Airbus, with the H125, AS365, H135 and H155 platforms commonly used by the operators.

photo: Airbus Helicopter/Eric Raz