Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment receives first Airbus H130 helicopter powered by SAF

October 10, 2024 / News

Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment receives first Airbus H130 helicopter powered by SAF

@airbusheli @SafranHCEngines #H130 #SustainableAviationFuel #SAF

Bangkok, 10 October 2024 – Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) took delivery of its first Airbus H130 helicopter. The 46-minute ferry flight powered by a 39% blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) was jointly operated by Airbus, MNRE, Safran Helicopter Engines and Thai Aviation Industries (TAI). The H130 flew from TAI’s completion centre in Lopburi to MNRE’s base at Nakhon Sawan Airport, witnessed by MNRE’s Assistant Permanent Secretary Kantapan Pisalsukskul, and representatives from Airbus, TAI and Safran.

“We welcome the timely delivery of the new H130 helicopter. The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Dr. Chalermchai Sri-on, aims to utilise the best available technology for sustainable environmental management while protecting personnel. This H130 helicopter will immediately be deployed to support a wide range of critical missions including flood relief, search and rescue, medical evacuation as well as wildfire suppression. We have a high expectation that the H130 will enhance the operational efficiency while reducing the impact on the environment,” said Mr. Jatuporn Buruspat, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. “This first SAF helicopter flight in Thailand emphasises the government’s commitment towards decarbonisation of the aviation industry as part of NDC action plan mitigation measures.”

“We are proud to be part of MNRE’s H130 delivery. It is the first helicopter that has undergone complete customisation and final reassembly at our facility before delivery to MNRE. We are also glad that the ferry flight to the customer was enabled with a blend of sustainable aviation fuel. As Thailand is taking a proactive stance on addressing carbon footprint concern and has committed to reducing carbon emission of every sector in the country, delivering the H130 helicopter powered with SAF to MNRE is a big step towards decarbonisation of the aviation industry which plays a crucial role in leading the way in reducing carbon emissions from the fuels used in aviation,” said ACM Piboon Vorravanpreecha, Managing Director, Thai Aviation Industries.

“We greatly appreciate MNRE entrusting its critical missions with the new fleet of H130 helicopters, and joining us in our commitment to reduce the aviation industry’s CO2 emissions with this historic SAF flight which is the country’s first for a helicopter. The H130 is renowned for its performance, reliability, safety and multi-mission capability. We are confident of its potential in Thailand and look forward to seeing more serving the local community,” said Alexandre Sanchez, Managing Director, Airbus Helicopters in Thailand.

“We are pleased to partner with Airbus Helicopters on the first delivery of this Arriel-powered H130 to MNRE. It is also an honour to launch the first helicopter SAF flight in Thailand with them. MNRE’s commitment to protecting and restoring the environment resonates with our ongoing efforts to prioritise sustainability, and reduce our ecological footprint. We hope that this partnership showcases our dedication to being the leader of the helicopter engine industry decarbonisation efforts, and inspires other helicopter operators to do so,” said Steven Wong, Managing Director, Safran Helicopter Engines Asia.

MNRE placed an order for two H130s in 2023 with TAI, the prime contractor and completion centre for the sale and distribution of Airbus’ rotorcraft for governmental and military customers in Thailand. The multi-role helicopters were first delivered to TAI, who managed the final reassembly, customisation and completion work at its facility in Lopburi, for final delivery to MNRE. These multi-mission H130s will be deployed for fire-fighting, aerial survey and passenger transportation in Thailand.

The H130 is a member of the Ecureuil family, which represents nearly half of the Airbus-built in-service helicopter fleet worldwide, and has accumulated over 40 million flight hours worldwide. It is the quietest helicopter on the market in its category, helped by Airbus’ Fenestron shrouded tail rotor and automatic variable rotor speed control which contributes to the helicopter’s significantly reduced external sound level. The H130’s simple design, use of composite materials and the experience drawn from Airbus’ mature Ecureuil family contribute to reduced maintenance costs and high availability.

As a major lever in the journey towards the decarbonisation of the aerospace industry, SAF brings an average 80% reduction in carbon emissions over the life cycle compared with fossil fuels, from production to end use. All Airbus aircraft can already fly with a 50% SAF blend. Airbus aims for all its aircraft to be capable of flying with 100% SAF by 2030.

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