First $6 Million Hermes Helicopter Goes to Abu Dhabi

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed)
May 5th 2009 at 6:02PM

The world's first $6 million Hermès helicopter, designed by the famed French fashion house in conjunction with Eurocopter, has been delivered to Falcon Aviation Services in Abu Dhabi. Back in 2007 my colleague Deidre Woollard reported on the announcement of the ultra-luxurious chopper, dubbed the "l'Hélicoptère par Hermès," though no price was quoted at the time. Unsurprisingly, the oil rich emirate has snapped up the first of the craft, based on Eurocopter's EC135 model and done in brown and cream livery with signature Hermès orange accents.

The cabin of the helicopter was completely redesigned by Hermès Interior and Design - who also created a custom Rolls-Royce for the Four Seasons George V in Paris we wrote about last year - to maximize the available space and make it as luxurious as possible. Hermès' classic canvas "Toile H" was used to cover the cockpit while the handcrafted seats and banquette are upholstered in natural-grained Hermès calf leather. A sliding glass partition separates the passenger compartment and cockpit, enhancing privacy while allowing light to enter.

"We are delighted to be the first customer for 'l'Hélicoptère par Hermès', which gives us the opportunity to offer a unique travelling experience to our customers" FAS's Vice Chairman Salem Al Kayoumi stated. "This helicopter illustrates a successful fusion between design and technology, where every detail has been created for VIP and business travellers. They are busy and highly demanding, yet wish to travel with utmost comfort and elegance."

Tags: Abu Dhabi, AbuDhabi, Eurocopter, helicopter, Hermes, UAE