Milestone Aviation Group increases Eurocopter EC225 order to 30 aircraft and announces order for five EC175s. Total order valued at close to U.S. $1 billion

This new order for the two Eurocopter helicopter types brings Milestone’s EC225 total order book value to more than €675 million (US $891 million) at list prices, while the list price valuation of its EC175 acquisition is approximately €70 million (US $92 million).

Milestone Chairman and Co-Founder Richard Santulli and Eurocopter President and CEO Lutz Bertling announced the EC225 and EC175 contract on March 5 at the Heli-Expo 2013 helicopter industry show in Las Vegas.

“This order further develops our partnership with Milestone and demonstrates the confidence our longstanding partner places in Eurocopter’s Super Puma family and our new EC175,” Bertling said. “It underscores the EC225’s operational performance and value delivered with demanding customers such as Milestone, while making an important endorsement for the EC175.”

Milestone’s EC225s and EC175s will be configured to the requirements of its operating partners for use in duties such as crew change missions to offshore oil and gas platforms and search and rescue.

“The EC225 has a long-standing reputation for safety and reliability in the most demanding operating conditions,” commented Milestone’s Santulli. “Despite the current challenges the aircraft is facing, we are confident that Eurocopter and the EC225 will overcome them. This helicopter is a fantastic asset that will be a mainstay of the offshore oil and gas and search and rescue markets for decades to come.” Santulli added: “With the EC175, our customers will benefit from the high-performance, range and payload capabilities of this exciting new aircraft.”

The EC225 integrates Eurocopter’s latest technological innovations in a highly capable 11-ton-category helicopter. Powered by two Turbomeca Makila 2A1 engines, the EC225’s main gear box and 5-blade rotor give this rotorcraft the ability to carry a variety of payloads, along with excellent range and fast cruise speeds. Deployed worldwide for civil and military search and rescue, as well as offshore and passenger transport missions, the Super Puma/Cougar family has logged more than 4.5 million flight hours in operations around the globe. When configured for offshore crew change operations in support of oil and gas producers, the EC225 can be rapidly converted for search and rescue operations.

The EC175 was designed by Eurocopter in close cooperation with operators, and is the first helicopter in the seven-ton category with its payload and range capabilities. This rotorcraft also extends the EC225’s undisputed superiority of in-flight envelope protection, pilot assistance and situational awareness, and includes the most innovative alerting and self-monitoring system.

Powered by two Pratt Whitney Canada PT6C-67E engines and equipped with a five-blade Spheriflex main rotor system, the EC175’s range provides the reach needed by offshore service providers and other operators – transporting 16 passengers in an oil and gas configuration to distances of 140 naut. mi., with its range approaching 200 naut. mi. when 12 passengers are carried.

About Milestone

Milestone Aviation Group is the first global aircraft leasing company exclusively focused on helicopters. Milestone’s global aircraft leasing platform addresses the liquidity needs of a transforming marketplace through 100% operating lease financing. Since launching in August 2010, Milestone has leased more than 75 aircraft valued at more than $1 billion with 21 operators in 20 countries. In addition, the company is expected to have placed future firm helicopter orders and secured options valued at more than $2.2 billion by the end of HAI’s Heli-Expo 2013. Further information is available at www.milestoneaviation.com.

About Eurocopter

Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace and defense-related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approximately 22,000 people. In 2012, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 6.3 billion Euros, orders for 469 new helicopters and a 38 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Overall, the Group’s helicopters account for 33 percent of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet. Eurocopter’s strong international presence is ensured by its subsidiaries and participations in 21 countries. Eurocopter’s worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents supports some 2,900 customers. There are currently more than 11,780 Eurocopter helicopters in service in 148 countries. Eurocopter offers the most comprehensive civil and military helicopter range in the world and is fully committed to safety as the most important aspect of its business.