Helibras
Brazilian helicopter and rotorcraft manufacturer and the Latin American industrial arm of Airbus Helicopters.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Helibras, formally Helicópteros do Brasil S.A., is a Brazilian helicopter manufacturer headquartered in Itajubá, in the state of Minas Gerais. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Airbus Helicopters, itself part of Airbus, and is described as the only helicopter manufacturer in Latin America. The company combines local production, assembly, maintenance, modernization, integration and support activities for civil and military rotorcraft. The company was established on 1 January 1978 in São José dos Campos, São Paulo state, during a period when Brazil was seeking to develop domestic aerospace and defense manufacturing capabilities. Helibras moved its operations to Itajubá in 1980, where the site became the center of its Brazilian industrial activity. Its ownership initially involved MGI Participações, an investment company associated with the government of Minas Gerais, Bueninvest and Eurocopter. Eurocopter, now Airbus Helicopters, became the sole owner in 2006. Helibras has produced and delivered more than 800 helicopters, with approximately 70 percent of its output identified in reference material as belonging to the Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil family, marketed in Brazil as the Esquilo. The AS350 became one of the company’s most important products in the Brazilian market, serving civilian operators, public authorities and military customers. Helibras has also locally produced or supported other Airbus rotorcraft, including the AS355, EC130, EC135, AS532, AS550, AS555, EC635, AS565 Panther and H225M. Military programs have been central to the company’s industrial development. Helibras supplied and modernized helicopters for the Brazilian Army, Navy and Air Force, including Panther modernization and the large H225M program. The H225M order involved local production and assembly of 50 aircraft for Brazil’s three armed services. The program expanded Helibras’s role beyond final assembly by incorporating Brazilian industrial participation and work on mission-system integration, including examination of Exocet anti-ship missile integration for naval aircraft. The company’s installed fleet has also given it a substantial domestic market position. Reference material describes Helibras-produced rotorcraft as representing about 54 percent of helicopters operating in Brazil’s civilian market and roughly 66 percent of the domestic military market. Around 10 percent of total production has been exported to other Latin American countries. These figures are historical descriptions rather than current audited market statistics. Helibras’s positioning rests on local manufacturing capability backed by Airbus Helicopters’ international product portfolio, engineering resources and support network. Its activities span new helicopter production, fleet modernization, technical support and adaptation of global rotorcraft to Brazilian civil, defense and public-service requirements. The company therefore functions both as a national aerospace manufacturer and as Airbus Helicopters’ established industrial platform in Brazil.
History
Helibras was founded on 1 January 1978 in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, as part of Brazil’s effort to establish a domestic helicopter-manufacturing capability. In 1980, the company moved to Itajubá in Minas Gerais. The new location became its principal industrial base and linked Helibras to the state’s support for aerospace and defense development. During its early development, Helibras had a mixed ownership structure involving MGI Participações, Bueninvest and Eurocopter. The partnership connected Brazilian public and private interests with the European helicopter manufacturer. Eurocopter’s role became increasingly important as Helibras adopted and produced aircraft from the company’s product family. In 2006, Eurocopter acquired full ownership. Following the reorganization of Eurocopter under Airbus, Helibras became a wholly owned subsidiary of Airbus Helicopters. The AS350 Écureuil was the company’s most numerous locally produced helicopter. In Brazil it was widely known as the Esquilo. By 2012, reference material stated that Helibras had manufactured about 600 helicopters domestically for the Brazilian market, with roughly 70 percent being AS350 variants. The type served civil operators and public-sector users and also became important to Brazil’s armed forces. The Brazilian Navy had used AS350 helicopters in support of the Brazilian Antarctic Program since 1984, illustrating the aircraft’s role in specialized government operations as well as conventional transport and utility missions. Helibras also developed a substantial military rotorcraft portfolio. The company produced the AS565 Panther under license, and Brazilian Army Aviation received its first Panthers in 1988. In 2010, Helibras secured a contract to modernize 34 AS365K Panthers to the AS365 K2 standard. The work included more powerful Turbomeca Arriel 2C2CG engines, updated avionics and radios, a glass cockpit, a four-axis autopilot, weather radar, night-vision compatibility and changes intended to reduce pilot workload. The modernization was designed to extend the helicopters’ useful airframe life by approximately 25 years. The first two Panther K2 aircraft were delivered in March 2014, and the type passed technical operational evaluation later that year after reportedly achieving 98 percent availability during trials. The most strategically significant program in Helibras’s history was Brazil’s acquisition and local production of the EC725, later designated H225M. In September 2008, the Brazilian government announced plans for Helibras’s Itajubá facility to produce 50 aircraft for the Navy, Air Force and Army. The program was intended to provide Brazil with a modern medium-lift military helicopter while expanding domestic industrial participation. Three aircraft were undergoing flight testing by December 2010, and assembly of the remainder began in 2012. The H225M program also involved mission-system work. In 2014, Helibras and MBDA were working on integration of the Exocet anti-ship missile for the naval version, with the missile program itself incorporating Brazilian production. The Brazilian Navy accepted its first EC725 on 19 June 2014. By July 2015, the armed forces had received 16 H225Ms, with deliveries expected to continue through 2019 according to reporting at the time. In October 2015, Brazil’s H225M fleet reached 10,000 flight hours, and in December Helibras delivered the first pair configured to a full operational capability standard. Beyond individual aircraft programs, Helibras established a broad support and modernization role in Brazil. Its portfolio included civil models such as the EC120, AS350, AS355, EC130 and EC135, as well as military types including the AS532, AS550, AS555, EC635, EC725 and AS565. Reference material credits the company with more than 800 helicopters produced and delivered overall, with about 10 percent exported to Latin American markets including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela. Historically, Helibras has held a leading position in Brazil’s turbine-helicopter market. The available reference describes its rotorcraft as accounting for approximately 54 percent of helicopters operating in the civilian market and about 66 percent of the domestic military market. These figures describe the period covered by the source and should not be treated as current market measurements without newer data. The company’s enduring significance lies in its combination of Brazilian manufacturing capacity, Airbus Helicopters technology and long-term support for the country’s civil, governmental and military rotorcraft fleets.
- 2015
H225M fleet reaches 10,000 flight hours
[1]Brazil’s H225M fleet reaches 10,000 cumulative flight hours, and Helibras delivers the first pair configured to a full operational capability standard.
- 2014
First EC725 accepted by the Brazilian Navy
[1]The Brazilian Navy formally accepts its first EC725 delivered through the Helibras production program.
- 2012
H225M assembly begins
[1]Helibras begins assembly of the remaining aircraft in Brazil’s 50-helicopter H225M program.
- 2010
Panther K2 modernization contract
[1]Helibras receives a contract to upgrade 34 AS365K Panthers to the AS365 K2 configuration.
- 2008
Brazil launches 50-aircraft EC725 program
[1]Brazil announces local production of 50 EC725 helicopters for the Navy, Air Force and Army.
- 2006
Eurocopter becomes sole owner
[1]Eurocopter acquires full ownership of Helibras; Eurocopter later becomes Airbus Helicopters.
- 1988
Brazilian Army receives its first locally supported Panthers
[1]Brazilian Army Aviation takes delivery of its first AS565 Panther helicopters produced under Helibras’s licensed military rotorcraft activities.
- 1984
AS350s support Brazil’s Antarctic program
[1]The Brazilian Navy begins using AS350 helicopters in support of the Brazilian Antarctic Program.
- 1980
Operations move to Itajubá
[1]The company relocates its principal operations to Itajubá, Minas Gerais, where its main industrial base is established.
- 1978
Helibras is founded
[1]Helibras is established on 1 January in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, as a Brazilian helicopter manufacturer.
Products and positioning
A Brazil-based Airbus Helicopters subsidiary focused on local helicopter manufacture, assembly, modernization and lifecycle support for civilian and military customers.
Civil and utility helicopter
AS350 Écureuil / Esquilo
The AS350 Écureuil, marketed in Brazil as the Esquilo, was Helibras’s most numerous locally produced helicopter family. It served civilian operators, public authorities and military users in utility, transport and specialized missions. Reference material identifies it as approximately 70 percent of Helibras’s domestic production through 2012. Brazilian Navy examples supported the country’s Antarctic program, while Brazilian Army aircraft later underwent a major refurbishment and upgrade program.
Military medium helicopter · 1988
AS365 Panther K2
The AS365 Panther was a licensed military rotorcraft produced locally by Helibras. Under the Panther K2 modernization program, 34 Brazilian Army aircraft received upgraded engines, digital cockpit and avionics systems, improved communications, a four-axis autopilot, weather radar and night-vision compatibility. The modernization was intended to reduce pilot workload and extend the airframes’ service life by about 25 years.
Military transport and utility helicopter · 2008
H225M / EC725
The H225M, originally designated EC725, became Helibras’s largest Brazilian military production program. Fifty aircraft were ordered for the Brazilian Navy, Air Force and Army, with assembly and industrial participation centered at Itajubá. The program included flight testing, local assembly and mission-system work, including reported efforts to integrate the Exocet anti-ship missile on naval aircraft.
Light civil helicopter
EC120 Colibri
The EC120 Colibri is listed among Helibras’s civil helicopter offerings. It is a light helicopter from the Airbus Helicopters product family that formed part of the company’s broader Brazilian civil rotorcraft portfolio.
Light twin-engine helicopter
AS355
The AS355 is listed among Helibras’s civil products. It represents the twin-engine segment of the company’s historical light-helicopter portfolio, alongside the AS350 and EC120.
Light civil helicopter
EC130
The EC130 is listed among Helibras’s civil helicopter products. It belongs to the light civil rotorcraft range associated with Airbus Helicopters and was included in the Brazilian manufacturer’s product portfolio.
Light twin-engine helicopter
EC135
The EC135 is listed among Helibras’s civil products. It is a light twin-engine helicopter suited to a range of civil and public-service roles and formed part of the company’s historical Airbus-derived offering.
Military transport helicopter
AS532
The AS532 is included in Helibras’s listed military product range. It represents a medium military transport and utility helicopter family supported through the company’s relationship with Airbus Helicopters.
Military light helicopter
AS550 and AS555
The AS550 and AS555 are listed among Helibras’s military offerings. These light military helicopter variants formed part of the company’s historical range for Brazilian defense and government customers.
Military utility helicopter
EC635
The EC635 is listed in Helibras’s military portfolio. It is a military-oriented member of the EC135 family and reflects the company’s role in adapting Airbus Helicopters products for defense applications.
Brand decisions
2014
Exocet integration work for naval H225MProduct launchBackground
Brazil planned a naval H225M variant with an anti-ship mission capability.
Action taken
Helibras and MBDA worked on integrating the Exocet anti-ship missile with the naval version of the helicopter.
Aftermath
The work formed part of the Brazilian H225M program’s broader effort to combine local industrial participation with specialized military mission systems.
2011
AS350 fleet refurbishmentGeneration changeBackground
The Brazilian Army sought to extend the useful service of its existing AS350 fleet.
Action taken
Helibras signed an agreement to substantially upgrade and refurbish 36 Army AS350 Écureuil helicopters.
Aftermath
The decision reinforced Helibras’s role as a lifecycle-support and modernization provider in addition to its manufacturing role.
2010
AS365K Panther fleet modernizationGeneration changeBackground
The Brazilian Army required an extensive renewal of its existing Panther helicopter fleet.
Action taken
Helibras contracted to upgrade 34 AS365K aircraft to the AS365 K2 standard with new engines, avionics, cockpit systems, autopilot, radar and night-vision capability.
Aftermath
The first two upgraded helicopters were delivered in 2014, and the type passed technical operational evaluation with a reported 98 percent availability during trials.
2008
Commitment to local H225M productionStrategyBackground
Brazil sought a modern military helicopter fleet while expanding domestic aerospace manufacturing and technology participation.
Action taken
The Brazilian government selected a program under which Helibras’s Itajubá facility would produce 50 EC725 helicopters for the Navy, Air Force and Army.
Aftermath
The program became Helibras’s principal military industrial undertaking, leading to local assembly, deliveries beginning in the early 2010s and later H225M operational milestones.
Reported order value. Approximately US$1 billion (2008 announcement)
Recent events
- 2015
Brazilian armed forces reach 10,000 H225M flight hours[1]
Other
The Brazilian H225M fleet reached 10,000 flight hours, marking a significant operational milestone for the national military helicopter program.
- 2015
Helibras delivers first H225Ms to full operational capability standard[1]
Product generation
The company delivered the first pair of Brazilian H225M helicopters configured to a full operational capability standard.
- 2014
Brazilian Navy accepts first locally produced EC725[1]
Product launch
The Brazilian Navy formally accepted delivery of the first EC725 produced through the national Helibras program.
- 2014
First Panther K2 helicopters delivered to Brazilian Army[1]
Product generation
Helibras delivered the first two modernized Panther K2 helicopters to the Brazilian Army. The type subsequently completed technical operational evaluation with a reported 98 percent availability rate during trials.
- 2012
Helibras begins assembly of Brazilian H225M order[1]
Product launch · Other
The company began assembling additional aircraft for Brazil’s 50-helicopter H225M program after earlier aircraft had entered flight testing.
- 2011
Brazilian Army orders AS350 fleet refurbishment[1]
Product generation · Other
Helibras signed an agreement with the Brazilian Army to substantially upgrade and refurbish 36 AS350 Écureuil helicopters.
- 2010
Helibras receives Brazilian Army Panther modernization contract[1]
Product generation · Other
Helibras was awarded a contract to upgrade 34 AS365K Panther helicopters to the AS365 K2 configuration, including new engines, avionics, cockpit systems, autopilot, weather radar and night-vision compatibility.
- 2008
Brazil announces local production of 50 EC725 helicopters[1]
Product launch · Other
The Brazilian government announced that Helibras’s Itajubá factory would produce an initial batch of 50 EC725 helicopters for the Brazilian Navy, Air Force and Army under a reported order valued at approximately US$1 billion.
Sources1 sources
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