Heritage Aviation Ramps Up Light Helicopter Capability

With one H130 already in operation, India’s Heritage Aviation, predominantly an Airbus H125 operator, signed a contract for a new H130 at Wings India on January 30, with delivery scheduled for September.

The wider cabin, lower noise profile, and Fenestron tail rotor of the H130 position Heritage to offer a premium passenger experience, according to Rohit Mathur, founder and CEO of Heritage Aviation. “The new H130 will help expand our regional connectivity footprint, including Northeast India, which remains largely untapped for private helicopter operations.”

India’s H130 fleet remains small and concentrated among a few charter operators. Global Vectra Helicorp has a few EC130T2/H130s for VIP and tourism missions, while Chipsan Aviation also deploys the type in higher‑end charter operations. A handful of privately owned and charter H130s round out the market, placing the national fleet at roughly six to eight aircraft.

Heritage Aviation is one of India’s largest private helicopter operators, with an estimated 10 Airbus H125 AStars used to fly pilgrims to tiny towns tucked in the Himalayas at 3,590 meters (11,800 feet), where reliability and climb performance are critical. The fleet is built primarily around pilgrimage, charter, and aerial‑work operations.

India’s first private‑sector H125 final assembly line in Karnataka, operated by Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems, will assemble, test, and deliver the first India‑built H125 in early 2027.