Taipei, Aug. 14 (CNA) A U.K. helicopter company is looking to expand its business to Taiwan, as the country has slowly opened up its domestic civil and corporate aviation market.
AgustaWestland, which specializes in helicopters and related training, has a tender for the National Airborne Service Corps' (NASC's) procurement of 12 helicopters to be used for search and rescue, disaster relief and emergency medical services.
The company sees Taiwan as a future market with tremendous potential although the expansion will be slow and steady, said Andrew Symonds, vice general manager of sales in North Asia.
Symonds said the company's AW-139 and EH-101 models are suited for Taiwan's mountainous areas and the high winds often experienced in rescue and relief missions and added that the company is happy to collaborate with Taiwanese government agencies.
The main focus will be on civil services, later expanding to corporate services and air taxi operations, Symonds said.
AgustaWestland is a subsidiary of Finmeccanica, which is the ninth-largest aerospace, defense and security company globally and the second-largest in Europe. The company has its primary operations in Italy, the U.K. and the U.S.