European multinational aerospace manufacturer Airbus has signed a contract with a Chinese consortium, planning to set up an assembly line to build H135 helicopters in the West Coast New Area of Qingdao on June 13.

The consortium is made up of China Aviation Supplies Holding Company and Qingdao United General Aviation Industrial Development Company.

As the first Airbus assembly line established outside of Europe, the twin-engine helicopter will be built in strict accordance with European helicopter manufacturing standards.

In addition, helicopters assembled from the new line will maintain the same levels of technology, quality and service as that of those built at the Airbus's Donauworth assembly line in Germany.

The new line is scheduled to go into operation in 2018 and is expected to manufacture 36 helicopters annually.

Norbert Ducrot, the president of Airbus Helicopters in China said that China is likely to need around 600 helicopters over the next 20 years.

Ducrot expressed that he was looking forward to working with the company's new Chinese partners and prospected that China would become one of the largest markets for civil helicopters in the future.

The Airbus H135 helicopter. [Photo/dailyqd.com]