Helicopters in Sao Paulo: Eurocopter, July 2011

Eurocopter started in Brazil in 1978, when Aerospatial (part of the present day Eurocopter) started Helibras in combination with a private local company. However, at the time Bell Helicopters were far more dominant in the local helicopter market.
Thirty or so years later this early interest in Brazil has paid off as Eurocopter have surpassed Bell, and the other helicopter manufacturers, to become the dominant helicopter company in the market with, in 2010, around 50% of the market share. Bell has the second largest fleet of helicopters in the country, mostly older helicopters, and Agusta has 120 helicopters, making it the third largest helicopter company here.
Eurcopter's market share increased in 2008 when they did a deal with the Brazilian Ministry of Defence to buy 50 EC725s. These EC725s will be built here in a newly built part of the Eurocopter factory at Itajuba.