Airbus Helicopters has confirmed that the first delivery of the H160, its latest design, will be pushed back to 2019. Its entry into service was originally scheduled for the end of 2018.

"This shift is due to the problems encountered on some mechanical parts that had to be redesigned," according to the head of the H160 program Bernard Fujarski, speaking during a meeting with the Association of Journalists Specialized in Aeronautics (AJPAE) in Marignane in France.

This twin-turbine helicopter has a maximum takeoff weight of 5.67 metric tons (12,566 pounds) and 850-km (450-nautical-mile) range. Positioned in the "medium" segment, the H160 was unveiled at the U.S. Heli-Expo show in March 2015. It will offer a fuel burn 15 percent lower than that of the Dolphin H155 family, the model that the H160 replaces. The new-helicopter program enters a major industrial phase in 2018, with the launch of the final assembly line at Marignane and the assembly of the first production rotorcraft. Also in 2018, the manufacturer expects to complete flight testing to obtain simultaneous European EASA and U.S. FAA certification. A third prototype has just entered the flight-test program and Airbus plans to perform about 1,100 hours of tests (550 hours already completed). The manufacturer has not revealed the number of orders it has received for this machine.