HeliDax celebrates the 250,000 flying hours of its H120 fleet
A Model of success in the provision of aeronautical means for 15 years
In early 2008, HeliDax, a subsidiary of DCI Group, won the first public-private partnerships (PPP) contract, initiated by the French Ministry for the Armed Forces, for the supply of helicopter flying hours for the EALAT (French Army light aviation school of Dax). Among other activities, this prestigious school trains the pilots of the French Army, French Air and Space Force, French Navy and Gendarmerie.
Over the last 15 years, HeliDax has provided up to 22,000 flying hours each year with 100% customer satisfaction rate. This service quality is based, first, on the expertise of several dozen technicians who intervene in the fields of the daily provision of aircraft, maintenance, logistics, and continuing airworthiness. Over these years, HeliDax and its customer EALAT have implemented shared operational working methods and have reached a mutual level of confidence that paved the way for the success of this PPP.
The first H120 operator worldwide
DCI Group is the first H120 private operator worldwide, with a fleet of 40 helicopters including 36 helicopters at its subsidiary HeliDax and 4 at the International Helicopter Training Centre (CIF-H), also located at Dax.
Within this scope, DCI Group has privileged partnership with Airbus Helicopters manufacturer, recently strengthened with the signing, during the Summer 2022, of a “HCare” type contract. This first reference on a H120 fleet aims to guarantee the best service quality for the French Ministry for Armed Forces over a sustained period. DCI Group and Airbus Helicopters are also partners in many programmes related to the provision of helicopter capabilities for overseas armed forces and security forces.
HeliDax maintains these 40 machines and also performs in-service support (ISS) and implements its own helicopter modernization solutions for other fleets.
“I am proud of the quality of the service and of the level of aircraft availability provided to our Armed Forces since the creation of Helidax, in the scope of this public-private partnership.
This constitutes a real model which is attracting interest from several armed forces worldwide.
Also, I would like to stress the quality of the products and services of our industrial suppliers, in particular Airbus Helicopters and Safran Helicopter Engines, in the scope of this contract.
The expertise, commitment, and adaptability of all our employees, to provide the Army light aviation school with the number of flying hours necessary for its needs, complement our ISS and helicopter modernization skills, on many types of machines, which make DCI one of the first French actors of helicopter ISS worldwide, with over 110 aircraft maintained, always as close as possible to our customers. “
Samuel Fringant, Chairman and CEO of DCI Group and Chairman of HeliDax
DCI Group, the operator of the Ministry for the Armed Forces for the transfer of know-how to France’s partner countries, exercises its activities of consulting, instruction, training and capability support to Forces. A unique actor in Europe for more than 50 years, DCI Group provides its institutional and industrial partners with bespoke solutions for all their capability development needs in order to meet regional and international security challenges. DCI Group and its 900 employees generate a turnover of 230 M€ with activities in more than 50 countries.