TIANJIN - Airbus Helicopters is gearing up for the "blue sea" market in China, the global aviation giant's top civil market, said group executives on Friday at an helicopter expo in Tianjin.

Airbus Helicopters received a record 49 orders last year in China, making the country its largest civil market in terms of bookings, said Airbus Helicopters at 2017 China Helicopter Expo.

"China is an important and strategic market. We invest big and focus on the country as we foresee its helicopter fleet will continuously grow," said Dr. Wolfgang Schoder, executive vice president with Airbus Helicopters.

Ever since its entry into the market of Chinese mainland in 1967, Airbus Helicopters has gained a success in the market with its complete "helicopter family".

Airbus Helicopters is the civil market leader with a forty percent market share of about 260 helicopters in China. It foresees a potential demand for 1,000 helicopters over the next decade.

"We provide helicopters and solutions for a wide range of missions, such as emergency medical services (EMS), utility works, public services, as well as offshore oil and gas transportation," said Marie-Agnes Veve, general manager of Airbus Helicopters China.

"Airbus Helicopters aims to establish a partnership with China, which is our largest market and an important partner in industrial cooperation," she said.

In May this year, Airbus Helicopters broke ground on its H135 final assembly line (FAL) in East China's Qingdao city. It will be the first Western helicopter manufacturer to establish an FAL in China.

"China is facing with surging demands in public service missions, EMS, disaster relief and firefighting. Airbus Helicopters will expand our industrial footprint in multiple locations in China to serve our customers better," said Veve.