SHANGHAI - Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. announced that the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has issued a validation type certificate for the S-76D aircraft, allowing Sikorsky to begin delivering the commercial helicopter to customers in China. The announcement was made at the 2014 Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition.
The S-76D is the latest S-76 model to be validated by CAAC having been preceded by the S-76A and S-76C helicopters More than 30 Sikorsky S-76 aircraft currently operate in China.
The S-76D is powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada's PW210S turboshafts.
Yunnan Jingcheng Group will be the first company in China to take delivery of an S-76D helicopter. The company contracted for a new S-76D in 2012 and is scheduled to receive the aircraft this month. Jingcheng already flies an S-92 helicopter for use in transporting corporate and government VIPs. In September 2013, a second S-92 aircraft was purchased with delivery expected in November 2015.