A PROUD, PROFITABLE TAKEOFF

Chinese-made helicopters ride revolutionary tech, cost benefits, promise to transform global aviation industry

Over the next 20 years, joint venture partners Avicopter, the helicopter branch of State-owned aircraft giant Aviation Industry Corp of China, and Airbus Helicopters, the French aircraft-maker's subsidiary, expect to sell about 800 to 1,000 AC352 choppers worldwide, including 300 in China, with profits to be split equally.

Profits from sales of indigenously manufactured choppers are expected to be substantial - not just for the joint venture but other Chinese companies on the back of their new-age aircraft such as the Z-20, which are seen revolutionizing the global aviation industry spanning the civilian and military sectors.