EUROCOPTER EC135 SERIES

Eurocopter EC135 Helicopters for Sale — The Global EMS Standard

If a single helicopter has done more than any other to advance the standard of care in emergency medical services aviation, it is the Eurocopter EC135. Since entering service in 1996, the EC135 has become the most widely-operated helicopter in European EMS — dominating the HEMS market in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the UK, the Netherlands, and dozens of other countries where air ambulance services have chosen it as their primary platform. Its combination of twin-engine safety, exceptionally spacious flat-floor cabin, outstanding all-weather IFR capability, fenestron tail rotor safety and low noise, and the operational economy of the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206 or Turbomeca Arrius 2B1 engines has made it the default answer to the question of what a purpose-designed EMS helicopter should be.

EC135 Variants

• EC135 P1 — Original PW206B-powered production variant establishing the EC135's EMS dominance.
• EC135 T1 — Turbomeca Arrius 2B-powered variant offering an alternative engine family with strong French support infrastructure.
• EC135 P2 / P2+ — Uprated PW206B2 engines with improved performance and higher gross weight. The most common EC135 variant on the pre-owned market.
• EC135 T2 / T2+ — Arrius 2B2 engines with FADEC, improved hot-and-high performance and fuel efficiency.
• EC135 P3 / T3 — Current production variants (now designated H135) with Helionix avionics suite, further refined engines, and single-pilot IFR certification.

Why the EC135 Dominates EMS

Three factors explain the EC135's EMS market leadership. First, the flat-floor cabin — wide, unobstructed, and large enough to work around a stretcher with two paramedics simultaneously — is the best in its class. Second, the HEMS 2 certification to EASA standards, achieved by the EC135, enables IFR operations in degraded visibility conditions that ground less capable aircraft, allowing missions to continue when patients cannot wait for better weather. Third, the fenestron tail rotor significantly reduces the risk of ground crew injury during patient loading operations at roadside landing zones where hospital-standard safety margins cannot be maintained.

Law Enforcement and Corporate Applications

Beyond EMS, the EC135 serves law enforcement agencies worldwide as a platform for surveillance, pursuit, and tactical operations. The German Federal Police, French Gendarmerie, and dozens of national police forces operate EC135s with FLIR, searchlight, and communications packages. Corporate operators value the EC135's speed, range, and cabin quality for executive transport in a twin-engine package with lower operating costs than the medium twins that preceded it in many corporate fleets.

Find Your EC135 on Airplane Trade

Browse Eurocopter EC135 P2, T2, P2+, T2+, and H135 helicopters for sale on Airplane Trade. EMS-equipped examples with full medical configurations, law enforcement variants with sensor packages, and corporate-configured aircraft from verified sellers worldwide. Engine program enrollment status and complete component time documentation provided with each listing.