Airbus Helicopters has delivered the first Airbus H160 helicopter to GDAT in Shanghai, making it the first company in China to receive the new helicopter.
The helicopter is the fifth of 50 Airbus H160 helicopters ordered by GDAT in April 2023, Airbus announced in a statement on August 12, 2025.
The European manufacturer said that the Airbus H160 helicopter will be mainly used in the energy sector, including offshore oil and gas platforms, personnel transportation in wind farms, port pilotage, and emergency medical, emergency rescue, public services and other missions.
“The introduction of this aircraft continues GDAT’s long term commitment to providing state-of-the-art helicopter technology to both the Chinese market and those around the world, and underlines our commitment to the safety, quality and efficiency of our operations,” said Peter JIANG, Chairman of GDAT.
“The Airbus H160 sets a new benchmark in the global midsize helicopter segment, and we are delighted that the first Airbus H160 helicopter has entered the Chinese market, providing our customers with a leading model in this segment,” said Colin James, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters China.
The Airbus H160 helicopter is capable of various missions including police enforcement, maritime transportation, search and rescue, private and business aviation, and emergency medical rescue.
The helicopter is currently operational in Brazil, Canada, France, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and many European countries.
On July 24, 2025, Airbus Helicopters successfully carried out the first flight of the H160M Guépard, the militarized variant of its H160 platform, as part of France’s Joint Light Helicopter (Hélicoptère Interarmées Léger, HIL) program.