Safran signs SBH® support contract with Bavarian police

21 April 2023, Hamburg

Safran Helicopter Engines has signed a contract with Bavarian police to support Arriel engines powering its new H145 helicopter fleet. This Support-By-the-Hour (SBH^®) contract formalizes a long-term Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) and services agreement supporting a total of 16 Arriel 2E Engines. This support contract was signed prior to the delivery of these helicopters, which will allow the engines to be put into service under the best possible conditions.

Bavarian police helicopters are operated from two bases at the airport in Munich and in Roth, close to Nuremberg. They perform a wide variety of missions for the protection of the people of Bavaria every day.

Francis Larribau, Safran Helicopter Engines Germany CEO, said: “We are proud of this testimony of confidence from Bavarian police in Safran Helicopter Engines and its SBH^® support contract”.

Franz Muschick, Head of Police Helicopter Squadron Bavaria, said: “The Bavarian Police replaces their EC135 fleet by eight new and more powerful helicopters type H145. The Police Helicopter Squadron Bavaria performs a large range of missions and more than 2.700 sorties per year. Consequently, we are very pleased that the enormous power of the SafranHE engines enable us to carry the double of passengers or fire water and to perform winch operations in high altitude with improved safety margins. The very reliable Arriel 2E engines are already well established on the H145 platform. In combination with this Support-By-the-Hour (SBH^®) contract, we expect an outstanding 24/7 readiness and longevity of our new fleet”. 

This new contract will be managed by Safran Helicopter Engines Germany, which supports more than 300 operators flying in Germany, Scandinavia, Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, with almost 2,000 engines. 

SBH^® is Safran Helicopter Engines’ support-by-the-hour program.  It makes engine operating costs predictable, eliminates cash peaks and allows flexibility for scheduled and unscheduled MRO coverage.  

SBH^® is part of EngineLife^® Services, Safran’s range of solutions for helicopter engines.