China airlines sign US$9.7b Airbus deals
(China Daily/Agencies)
Updated: 2005-12-06 05:49

The new 16-seater helicopter named the EC175 will go into development in 2006 and production is due to start in 2011, Eurocopter -- a subsidiary of the European consortium EADS -- said in a statement.

Eurocopter and the Chinese company ACIC II will each invest 300 million euros (352 million dollars) to develop the new helicopter, the statement said.

"Production will be shared on a 50/50 basis and each country will have its own assembly line. Sales forecasts for this latest-generation helicopter call for 800 to be sold worldwide over the next 20 years," it said.