The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have formalised a landmark regulatory agreement governing the production of Airbus AS350 B3 (H125) rotorcraft at a new final assembly line in Vemagal, Karnataka — marking a significant deepening of aviation ties between Europe and one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets.
The Working Arrangement was signed on 23 March 2026 in New Delhi, one day ahead of a multi-day regional workshop held under the EU–South Asia Aviation Partnership Project. The signing followed commitments made at the EU-India Summit in January 2026, where civil aviation safety was identified as a critical priority under the bilateral Strategic Joint Agenda. The document was published to EASA's official library on 31 March 2026.
At its core, the arrangement extends EASA's Production Organisation Approval (POA) to the Vemagal facility and establishes a structured framework clarifying how regulatory oversight responsibilities will be shared between EASA and the DGCA. This division of duties is essential to ensuring that every helicopter rolling off the Indian assembly line meets internationally recognised civil certification standards consistent with European airworthiness requirements.
The Vemagal facility is a joint venture between Airbus Helicopters and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), India's first private-sector helicopter Final Assembly Line. Located in the Vemagal Industrial Area near Kolar, approximately 50 kilometres from Bengaluru, the 17-acre site was inaugurated virtually on 17 February 2026 by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron. The facility handles full integration of major component assemblies, avionics, mission systems, electrical harnesses, and engines before final flight testing and customer delivery.
Key components — including the engine and gearbox from France, the main airframe from Germany, and the tail boom from Spain — will be shipped to India for final integration. Mahindra Aerostructures has also been contracted to supply the main fuselage from its Bengaluru plant. Production is expected to begin at an initial rate of ten aircraft per year, scaling to 20, 30, or even 50 annually in the longer term, with a target of approximately 500 H125 helicopters delivered over the next two decades. First deliveries from the Indian line are anticipated in early 2027.
Helicopters assembled at Vemagal are also intended for export to South Asian markets, positioning India as a regional production hub for the type. Airbus is additionally exploring production of the H125M military variant at the facility to meet Indian Armed Forces requirements, including a potential replacement for legacy HAL Cheetah and Chetak helicopters.
The broader regulatory context is equally significant. The working arrangement signing took place ahead of the EU–South Asia Aviation Partnership Project workshop held from 24 to 26 March 2026 in New Delhi, co-organised by EASA, the DGCA, and supported by European turboprop manufacturer ATR. The event brought together aviation authorities, airlines, and industry representatives from across South Asia to strengthen practical collaboration on safety and operational challenges.
The H125 — commercially known as the Écureuil in French-speaking markets — is Airbus Helicopters' best-selling product globally, with more than 7,000 units delivered and over 40 million accumulated flight hours. The type holds a storied record as the only helicopter to have landed atop Mount Everest. More than 100 Airbus helicopters, including the H125, are already in civil service with Indian operators across emergency medical, law enforcement, and tourism sectors.
For EASA, the arrangement reinforces its role as a global aviation safety standard-setter at a time when production is increasingly distributed across emerging-market partners. For India, it represents a tangible industrial milestone under the 'Make in India' and 'AatmaNirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India) programmes, bringing advanced rotary-wing manufacturing capability to the private sector for the first time.