From correspondents in Karnataka, India, 10:32 PM IST

European helicopter manufacturer Eurocopter has signed a deal to sell two EC120 new generation training helicopters to Apoorva Aviation Academy, a pilot training institute based here.

The deal, the financial details of which were not divulged, was signed on the sidelines of the ongoing Aero India show. The helicopters will be commissioned for training by the second half of this year, officials said.

The EC120 new generation training helicopters have been engineered under a pact between Eurocopter group, which is a division of the European defence and aerospace giant EADS, and ST Aerospace and Catic of China.

'EC120 B Colibri is a light and extremely versatile single-engine helicopter. It is perfectly adapted for both initial and recurrent pilot training,' said Ludovic Boistot , Eurocopter's sales manager for India.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)