COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) -- American Eurocopter has changed its name to Airbus Helicopters Inc. and will begin manufacturing a new commercial helicopter in Columbus, Ohio.
WCBI-TV in Columbus reports (http://bit.ly/1q5AG8E) the announcement came Tuesday in Columbus.
The plant in Columbus has manufactured the Lakota used primarily by the military. Officials say the plant will now produce up to 60 AStar helicopters per year.
Company president and CEO Guillaume Faury says production on the AStar could begin as early as September.
There are currently 280 employees at the Columbus plant.