NH90 retrofits being carried out at Airbus' Marignane facility in southern France. The NHI consortium intends to learn the lessons of the IOC to FOC upgrade process to ensure that adverse effects on availability do not happen with future efforts. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)

Airbus accepts that it must learn the lessons of the previous retrofit efforts that adversely affected the NHIndustries (NHI) NH90 helicopter programme, as it prepares to roll out further block enhancements in the coming years.

Speaking at the handover of the 500th NH90 to the international programme on 17 March, Matthieu Louvot, Airbus Helicopters executive vice-president, said that the NHI consortium that also includes Leonardo Helicopters and Fokker Aerostructures could not afford to repeat the same mistakes of the ongoing initial operating capability (IOC) to full operating capability (FOC) retrofits that have severely impacted fleet availability rates for some customers.

NH90 retrofits being carried out at Airbus' Marignane facility in southern France. The NHI consortium intends to learn the lessons of the IOC to FOC upgrade process to ensure that adverse effects on availability do not happen with future efforts. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)

Airbus accepts that it must learn the lessons of the previous retrofit efforts that adversely affected the NHIndustries (NHI) NH90 helicopter programme, as it prepares to roll out further block enhancements in the coming years.

Speaking at the handover of the 500th NH90 to the international programme on 17 March, Matthieu Louvot, Airbus Helicopters executive vice-president, said that the NHI consortium that also includes Leonardo Helicopters and Fokker Aerostructures could not afford to repeat the same mistakes of the ongoing initial operating capability (IOC) to full operating capability (FOC) retrofits that have severely impacted fleet availability rates for some customers.

NH90 retrofits being carried out at Airbus' Marignane facility in southern France. The NHI consortium intends to learn the lessons of the IOC to FOC upgrade process to ensure that adverse effects on availability do not happen with future efforts. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)

Airbus accepts that it must learn the lessons of the previous retrofit efforts that adversely affected the NHIndustries (NHI) NH90 helicopter programme, as it prepares to roll out further block enhancements in the coming years.

Speaking at the handover of the 500th NH90 to the international programme on 17 March, Matthieu Louvot, Airbus Helicopters executive vice-president, said that the NHI consortium that also includes Leonardo Helicopters and Fokker Aerostructures could not afford to repeat the same mistakes of the ongoing initial operating capability (IOC) to full operating capability (FOC) retrofits that have severely impacted fleet availability rates for some customers.

NH90 retrofits being carried out at Airbus' Marignane facility in southern France. The NHI consortium intends to learn the lessons of the IOC to FOC upgrade process to ensure that adverse effects on availability do not happen with future efforts. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)

Airbus accepts that it must learn the lessons of the previous retrofit efforts that adversely affected the NHIndustries (NHI) NH90 helicopter programme, as it prepares to roll out further block enhancements in the coming years.

Speaking at the handover of the 500th NH90 to the international programme on 17 March, Matthieu Louvot, Airbus Helicopters executive vice-president, said that the NHI consortium that also includes Leonardo Helicopters and Fokker Aerostructures could not afford to repeat the same mistakes of the ongoing initial operating capability (IOC) to full operating capability (FOC) retrofits that have severely impacted fleet availability rates for some customers.

NH90 retrofits being carried out at Airbus' Marignane facility in southern France. The NHI consortium intends to learn the lessons of the IOC to FOC upgrade process to ensure that adverse effects on availability do not happen with future efforts. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)

Airbus accepts that it must learn the lessons of the previous retrofit efforts that adversely affected the NHIndustries (NHI) NH90 helicopter programme, as it prepares to roll out further block enhancements in the coming years.

Speaking at the handover of the 500th NH90 to the international programme on 17 March, Matthieu Louvot, Airbus Helicopters executive vice-president, said that the NHI consortium that also includes Leonardo Helicopters and Fokker Aerostructures could not afford to repeat the same mistakes of the ongoing initial operating capability (IOC) to full operating capability (FOC) retrofits that have severely impacted fleet availability rates for some customers.

NH90 retrofits being carried out at Airbus' Marignane facility in southern France. The NHI consortium intends to learn the lessons of the IOC to FOC upgrade process to ensure that adverse effects on availability do not happen with future efforts. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)

Airbus accepts that it must learn the lessons of the previous retrofit efforts that adversely affected the NHIndustries (NHI) NH90 helicopter programme, as it prepares to roll out further block enhancements in the coming years.

Speaking at the handover of the 500th NH90 to the international programme on 17 March, Matthieu Louvot, Airbus Helicopters executive vice-president, said that the NHI consortium that also includes Leonardo Helicopters and Fokker Aerostructures could not afford to repeat the same mistakes of the ongoing initial operating capability (IOC) to full operating capability (FOC) retrofits that have severely impacted fleet availability rates for some customers.