Indian helicopter maintenance specialist Indocopters will set up the country’s first Airbus H125 TXi virtual reality full-motion flight simulator supplied by Swiss firm Loft Dynamics, creating South Asia’s first dedicated H125 VR training site, the two companies said on July 22.
The move extends Indocopters, the Indian subcontinent’s largest specialist helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business, from keeping aircraft airworthy into preparing the pilots who fly them, and lands as Airbus builds out local capacity for the type. Airbus Helicopters and Tata Advanced Systems began H125 production in February at India’s first private-sector helicopter final assembly line in Vemagal, Karnataka.
More than 80 H125s are already flying across India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, a fleet that is expected to grow once the Vemagal line ramps up and that will need training infrastructure able to scale with it.
The simulator will be installed at Indocopters’ headquarters in Greater Noida, near Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, and used for H125 type-specific training, emergency procedures, safety scenarios matched to the region’s terrain and conditions, and some basic training. It is expected to serve pilots at Indocopters, its affiliates including Global Vectra Helicorp, India’s largest private helicopter company, and other regional operators.
Ajay Shah, chief executive of Indocopters, said the H125 underpins multi-mission flying across the subcontinent, from utility and corporate transport to emergency medical services, disaster response and high-altitude work, often within a single fleet. “The Loft Dynamics H125 flight training device will enable us to deliver realistic, safe and repeatable training for critical scenarios such as emergencies, adverse weather, confined-area landings and high-altitude operations,” he said.
Loft Dynamics chief executive Sebastien Borel said advanced helicopter simulation had long been something pilots had to travel to and use too rarely. “Indocopters’ investment shows where the industry is going, toward training that sits closer to the fleet, happens more often, reflects real missions and helps operators build readiness before the aircraft ever leaves the ground,” he said.
Sunny Guglani, head of Airbus Helicopters, India and South Asia, said the type’s growth in the region depended on the ecosystem around the aircraft rather than availability alone. “With the H125 final assembly line now operational in Vemagal, India is building more local capability around one of Airbus Helicopters’ most successful aircraft,” he said.
The device pairs a six-degree-of-freedom motion system and an integrated glass cockpit with a 360-degree 3D VR environment and force-feedback controls. Loft Dynamics says its training devices carry a far smaller footprint than traditional full-flight simulators, making it easier to place advanced training close to operators and pilots.
Why it matters for the trade
Helicopter operations underpin a large slice of high-value tourism and access travel across South Asia, from Himalayan and high-altitude sightseeing to island-hopping in the Maldives and emergency medical cover that insurers and tour operators depend on.