Made in China

China began opening its airspace in 2012 to commercial aviation, including rotorcraft. The country has set a course for rapid expansion to meet the expected demand. AugustaWestland announced in October 2012 that Beijing Automotive Industrial Corporation (BAIC) has signed a multi-year contract for the purchase of $506M worth of helicopters, from the single engine AW119Kx to the AW139/AW169/AW189 family of aircraft. Bell announced that Reignwood Investment Ltd has signed up to purchase 50 of its new Bell 505 Jet Ranger X light helicopters. Avicopter, the state-owned amalgamation of all the helicopter production plants in China, has also shown its ability to develop more advanced aircraft. The company has upgraded its AC311 helicopter to the AC311A standard with improved high altitude capability. Avicopter also made an impact with a full size mock-up of its new AC3X2 helicopter. China has aspirations of becoming a world leader in developing rotorcraft technology.