Helicopter expo concludes with over 10b yuan sales

The 5th China Helicopter Exposition concluded Sunday in north China's Tianjin Municipality, with sales of 141 copters surpassing 10 billion yuan (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars).

The four-day event, which highlighted international market-oriented cooperation, has attracted 60,000 visitors from home and abroad, according to the organizers.

More than 400 global exhibitors have attended the expo, including chopper makers such as Airbus, Bell and Sikorsky, and aeromotor and component manufacturers like Safran, Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace.

A total of 27 helicopters performed in air shows during the expo, including a fleet of China's new self-developed Zhi-20 (Z-20) multifunctional helicopters, developed by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

AVIC-developed civilian helicopters for firefighting and medical rescue also made a comprehensive rescue drill.

Launched in 2011, the event is held biennially in Tianjin.