STRATFORD, Conn., March 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sikorsky Aircraft subsidiary Keystone Helicopter will seek a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) production certificate to manufacture S-76(TM) and S-92(TM) civil helicopters at its Coatesville, Pa., facility. Sikorsky Aircraft is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. .
Sikorsky currently produces and delivers S-76 and S-92 civil helicopters from its Commercial Aircraft Center in Stratford. Keystone expects to obtain the FAA production certificate later this year and Sikorsky then plans to locate S-76 and S-92 assembly there as warranted by delivery commitments and business objectives.
Sikorsky closed on its acquisition of Keystone in December 2005. Sikorsky delivered 49 commercial helicopters in 2005 and continues to experience sales growth in its commercial product line.
"We are already seeing the strategic benefits of the Keystone acquisition," said Mick Maurer, Sikorsky vice president of commercial programs. "Obtaining Keystone's FAA production certificate creates the additional capacity and added flexibility we need to meet the growing demand for our civil helicopter products."
Keystone is in the process of building and moving into a new facility in phases at a complex in Coatesville called The Heliplex(TM). The Heliplex will eventually feature several buildings comprising 173,000 square feet in one of the larger, most technically advanced commercial rotorcraft depots in the country.
"Keystone is a growing company with excellent capabilities," Maurer said. "The addition of an FAA production certificate broadens Keystone's capabilities significantly and positions the company for more growth in the future."
Keystone Helicopter already performs completion and repair services for Sikorsky, Bell, Eurocopter, MD and Agusta helicopters. Keystone specializes in full-service engineering, completion and technical support for commercial helicopters, turbine engine repair and overhaul services, and air medical flight operations. The firm operates a large technical services depot and completion center in Coatesville, Pa., and operates a large fleet of turbine helicopters in numerous locations across several eastern states, primarily in the air medical mission.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacturing, and service. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., provides a broad range of high-technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.
