Airbus' global restructuring to boost competitiveness

Airbus Helicopters' display at an aviation expo in Beijing in September, when the unit was still known as Eurocopter. Airbus hopes the name change will allow it to capitalize on its brand recognition as it attempts to expand its market share in China. Provided to China Daily

However, Barron expects revenue from the helicopter division to increase significantly in coming years.

"The next 10 years for Airbus Helicopters in China will be a bit like the last 10 years for Airbus. We expect Airbus Helicopters to take a significant share in China, as we've seen tangible signs of opening up the lower altitude airspace for general aviation," Barron said.

Chinese carriers now operate more than 1,000 Airbus aircraft, accounting for 50 percent of the total planes in service. The company sold its first plane to China in 1985 - Boeing Co had a 13-year head start - and set up its Chinese subsidiary in 1994.

The European company has also sold more than 180 helicopters across the country. Its revenue reached 90 million euros in China in 2012, up 54 percent year-on-year.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China and the People's Liberation Army jointly released regulations in November stating that general aviation flights that don't affect national security will now be subject to approval by the CAAC, not the military. That was considered a major step toward opening up the nation's low-altitude airspace. With the exception of some commercial air routes, the Chinese mainland's airspace is under the administration of the Air Force.

Once the low-altitude airspace regulations are relaxed, China could rapidly become the world's largest helicopter market due to huge demand from sectors such as offshore oil and gas exploration and tourism.

China had 298 civilian helicopters registered with the CAAC by the end of 2012, and the country is expected to have 1,500 civilian helicopters in the next 10 years, Xia Qunlin, deputy general manager of Avicopter Co Ltd, a joint venture between Aviation Industry Corp of China and the Tianjin municipal government, said at an industry forum earlier this year.