Airbus has begun building its first helicopter assembly plant in China, and the European planemaker plans to produce 18 machines a year there in hopes the country will soon open up its low-altitude airspace.
China currently has a shortage of civilian helicopters for emergency medical purposes and other uses due to the military’s tight control over the nation’s airspace.
Airbus Helicopters plans to complete its plant in the eastern port city of Qingdao at the end of next year.
The first helicopter is scheduled to be delivered in mid-2019, its president Guillaume Faury said during the laying of the foundation stone on May 28.
