Airbus H140: Responding to Market Needs with Innovation

This year, Airbus launched the H140, a light twin‑engine helicopter that aims to lift performance, cost‑effectiveness and passenger comfort to a new level. To understand more about this new rotorcraft, we spoke to Dirk Petry, Vice President of the Light Twin Helicopter Program (H135 & H140). 

1. What is the reason behind this new product launch?

There is a clear market demand for efficient, high-performance light twin-engine helicopters with larger cabins, low operating costs, and attractive acquisition prices. The H140 meets this demand by providing a spacious cabin that comfortably seats up to six passengers, while being  easy to maintain. The H140 is essentially an efficient, compact helicopter with an optimized cabin that performs well at high altitudes and in hot conditions. Additionally, there is a large replacement market for helicopters performing medical missions worldwide and this new rotorcraft is designed to perfectly meet these operational needs.

2. Which new features are available on the new H140?

The main reason for launching this new helicopter is to provide an improved cabin. To achieve this, we collaborated with our customers to design a new interior layout that is the right size and uses space and volume more ergonomically. Additionally,  the five-bladed main rotor is a perfect fit for the H140, offering advantages in terms of cabin space and passenger comfort. Another aspect we considered is mission performance, whether in terms of operational range or altitude. One notable new feature is the T-tail configuration, which moves the horizontal stabilizer to an extreme position outside the downwash of the main rotor. This configuration provides an additional lift of up to 70 kg in hover conditions. Lastly, we enhanced the Fenestron for altitude operations to provide even more safety for customers operating in mountainous regions.

3. How does the H140 respond to the customer's needs?

We’ve been working with some of the world's largest Emergency Medical Services (EMS) operators so that the H140 reflects their needs. During the design process we held workshops, meetings, and interviews to determine their requirements. Our customers wanted a larger cabin and improved helicopter performance, while remaining compact.

The feedback we received after the product launch confirms that we achieved the perfect balance: by offering a longer, wider, tall and fully modular cabin while maintaining efficiency and agility we have perfectly tailored it to EMS operations and to the crew who dedicate their time to saving lives. Whether loading patients with CPR devices, roll-in stretchers, or specific stretcher bridges that carry upright medical devices, we improved cabin access for all types of EMS operations. By raising the position of the tail boom, the crew doesn't need to duck down as much and by removing the horizontal stabilizer, we eliminated an obstacle at the rear, allowing a larger rear door opening. The H140 will also have a straight-edge loading edge, which is more comfortable and safer for stretcher loading and a specific EMS lighting system  for loading.

4. Can we expect the H140 to be used for missions other than medical?

Yes, as with all Airbus Helicopters range, the H140 is a fully multi-mission helicopter. Although  the cabin was designed with HEMS operators in mind, like all Airbus helicopters, the H140 has the necessary modularity to perform a wide range of missions. It is a multi-purpose helicopter that can be used for law enforcement, firefighting, and all other mission segments. Its large cabin, for example, will be of particular interest to the private business aviation sector. It is also worth mentioning how easily the cabin can be converted, enabling public service operators to effortlessly transition between missions. This feature could be particularly useful in countries where paramedic and firefighting services are provided by the same operator.