Eurocopter Japan held an opening ceremony earlier this week for its $50 million facility at Kobe Airport. The opening marks a 50-year relationship between Eurocopter and Japan that began with the introduction of the Alouette II. It also marks the merger of Eurocopter Japan T&E, a provider of maintenance, repair, overhaul and engineering services, into Eurocopter Japan, which was established in 2009 to handle sales, training, logistics and technical support.

Norbert Ducrot, Eurocopter’s senior executive vice president for Asia-Pacific, told AIN that the 320 Eurocopters currently in the region account for about 54 percent of the region’s turbine helicopter market.

The new 150,000-sq-ft facility employs about 200 people, including 100 dedicated to maintenance, design and engineering. Ducrot said the facility is large enough to accommodate 25 midsize helicopters and can handle up to 120 aircraft per year, a significant increase over the previous facility’s maximum annual throughput of 70.

Eurocopter Japan offers MRO services, design and customization, installation of helicopter equipment, and mechanic and pilot training.