PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus Helicopters Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said at the Paris air show on Tuesday that the unit of Airbus Group plans to start a two-year development phase for a new heavy helicopter named the X6.
Reuters reported previously that AIRBUS (EAD.PA)Helicopters planned to launch the X6, a long-awaited follow-up to its H225 Super Puma model, at Paris Airshow after the resolution of a standoff between Airbus and the French government over funding for the project.
Faury said he was also "keeping an eye" on the sale of Sikorsky. United Technologies Corp said on Monday it was exiting the helicopter business and would decide by the end of the third quarter whether to spin off or sell its $8 billion Sikorsky Aircraft unit, the U.S. military's largest helicopter maker.
He also added that Airbus Helicopters was getting some demands to postpone deliveries to customers due to the tough oil and gas market, but that there had been no cancellations so far.
(Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Editing by James Regan)
