The China Southern Airlines General Aviation Company Ltd and Airbus Helicopters signed an agreement for a global maintenance center in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, on Friday.

The agreement for the center, which will be located in the Guangdong coastal city, was signed by Cai Lijun, deputy general manager of CSA General Aviation, and Cedric Bessette, head of maintenance services at Airbus Helicopters, with Zhuhai Mayor Wu Zetong and Deputy Mayor Su Hu also attending the ceremony.

The two companies previously worked together on the acquisition of H175 and H160 helicopter fleets for offshore oil operations, as well as the establishment of maintenance, spare parts and training centers. According to a statement, CSA and Airbus have also cooperated on aircraft introduction and helicopter operations.

The center is intended to enhance Airbus' global service network, with the aim of significantly cutting customer support response time and improving service quality for Airbus helicopter products in the Chinese market, delivering more efficient, accessible, and professional maintenance solutions to global helicopter users while elevating customer experience and brand reputation.

CSA General Aviation says it will use the deal to increase resource investment, accelerate technological innovation and industrial upgrading, and develop an integrated ecosystem focused on "comprehensive safety, comprehensive emergency response and expanded consumer services".

The initiative has the stated aim of supporting the needs of national energy security, aviation emergency services, maintenance training and the aviation consumer sector.

According to a statement, CSA General Aviation is committed to accelerating the development of the general aviation and low-altitude economy industries, contributing to the implementation of the national energy strategy and the expansion of the marine economy.