AIRBUS - 2020 Universal Registration Document

1. Information on the Company’s Activities /

1.1 Presentation of the Company

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1.1.3 Helicopters

Airbus Helicopters is a global leader in the civil and military rotorcraft market, offering one of the most complete and modern range of helicopters and related services. This product range currently includes light single-engine, light twin-engine, medium and medium-heavy rotorcraft, which are adaptable to all kinds of mission types based on customer needs. See “– 1.1.1 Overview” for an introduction to Airbus Helicopters.

as improved in ight comfort, a more compact bearingless rotor system that eases maintenance, and connectivity. First deliveries of this best-seller began in September. The H145 milestone was closely followed by the EASA type certification of the H160 in July. Designed as a multi-role helicopter able to perform a wide range of missions such as offshore transportation, emergency medical services, private and business aviation, and public services, the H160 integrates Airbus Helicopters’ latest technological innovations. These include breakthrough safety features with Helionix’s accrued pilot assistance and automated features as well as ight envelope protection. The helicopter also provides passengers with superior comfort thanks to the sound-reducing Blue Edge blades and superb external visibility that benefits both passengers and pilots. H160 was not just designed with passengers and pilots in mind. Operators will appreciate its competitiveness thanks to its increased fuel efficiency and customer-centric simplified maintenance ecosystem: equipment accessibility has been facilitated by the helicopter’s optimised architecture, the maintenance plan was thoroughly verified during the Operator Zero campaigns, and it is delivered with intuitive 3D maintenance documentation. The first full ight simulator based in Marignane, France was also certified in August, an important step for paving the way towards entry into service this year. On the military side, Airbus Helicopters and the French Armament General Directorate (“ DGA ”) signed an additional set of studies to further the militarisation of the H160 and to define its associated support ecosystem in the frame of the Joint Light Helicopter programme (Hélicoptère Interarmées Léger (“ HIL ”)). This contract continues the pre-development activities for the military version of the H160, also called the Guépard by the French armed forces, in order to meet the delivery schedule that was brought forward in May 2019 by the French Minister of Armed Forces, Florence Parly. Airbus Helicopters would like to finalise the HIL contract in the course of 2021. The new set of studies will also focus on defining the optimal set-up for supporting the tri-service H160M fleet. Airbus Helicopters, Safran Helicopter Engines, and the DGA will work closely together in order to maximise the availability rate of the helicopters, as well as optimising the cost of supporting the eet. Airbus Helicopters has simultaneously been focusing on long term innovation in order to develop and mature the techno-bricks ( e.g. , autonomy, electrification, connectivity) that might benefit the “traditional” helicopter platforms of tomorrow as well as new VTOL architectures such as high-speed helicopters (Racer), eVTOL (CityAirbus) or unmanned platforms (VSR700). The VSR700 is a fully-f ledged unmanned aerial system, capitalising on Airbus Helicopters’ extensive experience of advanced autopilot systems and engineering expertise to provide modern militaries with new capabilities. It offers the best balance of payload capability, endurance and operational cost. It is capable of carrying multiple full-size naval sensors for extended periods and can operate in existing ships, alongside a helicopter, with a low logistical footprint. The VSR700 prototype performed its first free ight in July. This is a significant step in the programme following the first ight in November 2019 when the prototype was tethered to comply with regulatory

Strategy

Business Ambition Airbus Helicopters continues to execute its ambition to lead the helicopter market, build end-to-end solutions, and grow new

VTOL businesses, while being financially sound. The strategic priorities of Airbus Helicopters are:

– – Business Resilience : Airbus Helicopters continues to ensure the preservation of our resilience in terms of growth, profitability and robustness of its business model for both helicopters and new VTOLs; – – Customer Loyalty : Airbus Helicopters continues to deliver the best-in-class products and services to grow in the value chain of its customers, continuously improve customer satisfaction and speed up digital and technological transformation of service offering; – – Future Growth Markets : Airbus Helicopters continues to develop partnerships and governmental cooperation to reinforce its positioning on the market, with a focus on China, India & Africa – Middle East, expand support in home countries, fostering the evolution of helicopters ecosystem and leveraging Airbus’ brand worldwide. – – Innovation: Airbus Helicopters continues to build an innovative eco-system, mature techno-bricks for multiple platforms, develop collaborative innovations for eVTOL and deploy demonstrators and disruptive concepts. Transformation The Company remains focused on product safety, quality and lead time to continuously improve customer satisfaction. Airbus Hel icopters continues to ref ine and execute its transformation plan in order to maintain its competitiveness in the face of market evolutions and retain its ability to invest in the future. Airbus Helicopters continues to deploy data governance and accelerate its digital transformation based on standard capabilities, and foster digital mindset and community of practice. Airbus Values remain a model for its leaders and employees. Commitment to Innovation 2020 was an important year for Airbus Helicopters’ product range as the Company delivered on its promises of innovation and continuous product improvement bringing added-value to customers’ operations. The five-bladed H145 was granted EASA type certification in June, followed by FAA certification in November, bringing an additional 150kg of useful load as well

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Airbus / Registration Document 2020