Monday, December 10, 2012

EXPORT-IMPORT BANK GUARANTEES FINANCING TO SELL HELICOPTERS TO BRAZIL

Whether seen at night or during the day, the capital city of Brazil is unmistakable from orbit. Brasilia is located on a plateau - the Planalto Central - in the west-central part of the country, and is widely considered to be one of the best examples of 20th century urban planning in the world. One of its most distinctive design features - as seen from above - suggests a bird, butterfly, or airplane traveling along a northwest-southeast direction, and is made dramatically visible by city light patterns (image center right, between Lake Paranoa and the airport). Following the establishment of Brasilia in the early 1960s, informal settlements began to form around the original planned city. Ceilandia was one such settlement. In 1970, Ceilandia was formalized by the government and is now a satellite city of Brasilia with its own distinct urban identity. The developed areas of Brasilia and its satellites are clearly outlined by street grids and highway lights in this photograph taken from the International Space Station. The large unlit region to the upper right is the Brasilia National Park. Image courtesy of NASA. From: CIA World Factbook.
FROM: U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK

Ex-Im Bank Approves Financing to Export Helicopters; Supports More Than 500 Jobs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) announced today it will guarantee financing to support the export of U.S.-made helicopters to Brazil. This marks the first time the Bank has financed high-tech AW139 helicopters destined to be operated by Omni Taxi Aereo (OTA) of Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Omni Helicopters International S.A. (OHI) will buy the aircraft and assign them to its operating subsidiary, OTA. Philadelphia manufacturer AgustaWestland North America will supply its twin-engine helicopters in order for OHI to service its transportation contracts with Petrobras, which operates deep-water drilling rigs off the Brazilian coast.


The Bank’s financing is estimated to support at least 500 American jobs in all phases of aircraft production and delivery, based on the number employed by AgustaWestland in Philadelphia.


"With this transaction, we’ve guaranteed employment for skilled American workers," said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. "We’re pleased not only to help support these well-paying jobs, but also to level the playing field for an American manufacturer in the highly competitive energy-industry aircraft market."


Brazil’s state-owned Petrobras off-shore drilling industry increasingly demands new-technology, medium-lift helicopters like the AW139 model produced by AgustaWestland North America in its Philadelphia factory. Each AW139 helicopter can carry fifteen passengers to remote off-shore operations. It features a range of 575 miles and can fly at a cruising speed of 190 miles per hour.


Bruno Cellemme, President and CEO of AgustaWestland (Philadelphia), remarked, "AgustaWestland is pleased to again partner with the Export-Import Bank of the United States to support the export of helicopters produced at our Philadelphia plant. These exports help to sustain jobs at our Philadelphia-based manufacturing plant, which employs more than 500 aerospace workers."

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