Royal surprise as £50m Airbus Helicopter HQ opened

One of the world's largest aeronautics companies has unveiled a new £50m headquarters and factory.

The new Airbus Helicopters facility at London Oxford Airport officially opened on Friday, in an event attended by the Prince of Wales.

Prince William surprised people at the event who were not aware that he was going to attend.

He visited the new base which will be home for 250 members of staff and has room for 32 helicopters.

The Prince is the Royal Patron of London's Air Ambulance and he was shown around a newly delivered Airbus H135 helicopter which will enter service on air ambulance duties in London next month.

The Royal has served as a RAF search and rescue pilot.

He also flew as a pilot in the East Anglian Air Ambulance from 2015 to 2017.

Airbus Helicopters has moved from its 1940s buildings on the other side of London Oxford Airport over the past three months.

Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, said: "We have more space with better equipment and we look forward to higher productivity as a result.

"Outside we have eight landing pads able to accept all models of Airbus helicopters right up to the largest."

He spoke of the "sophisticated" lighting, climate control and construction techniques at the new building which means it "has 50% lower carbon emissions" than the previous base.

Airbus, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, completes helicopters built in France and Germany at its Oxford site.

It prepares the machines and sells them to UK customers, including air ambulance services, the National Police Air Service, Ministry of Defence and private customers.

The site also provides maintenance and support of helicopters already in service.

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