ACH 130
Aston Martin Edition
Airbus Corporate Helicopters and Aston Martin—two legends in their respective fields—have combined their genius to create the most desirable flying machine money can buy today. What is absolute luxury, if not the ability to combine, within a single object, power and grace, technology and craftsmanship, speed and serenity? This question, which the world’s greatest maisons have been striving to answer for decades, has just found a breathtaking solution some 2,000 meters above the ground.

By joining their forces and expertise in a year-long collaboration, Airbus Corporate Helicopters and Aston Martin Lagonda have created an extraordinary object that transcends its own category: the ACH130 Aston Martin Edition. A helicopter that is not merely a means of transport—it is a statement of style, a manifesto of excellence, an aerial masterpiece reserved for those for whom nothing is too beautiful—not even the sky. The Genesis of a Historic Alliance Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH) and Aston Martin Lagonda together unveil the result of more than a year of intensive collaboration between two teams of exceptional creators: the aeronautical engineers of one and the automotive designers of the other, united in pursuit of a shared ideal. The philosophy behind this partnership is clearly articulated by Marek Reichman, Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of Aston Martin: to combine ACH’s values of excellence, quality, and service with Aston Martin’s commitment to beauty, handcraftsmanship, and automotive artistry, elevating the very experience of flight to the level of art. 

For Frédéric Lemos, Director of Airbus Corporate Helicopters, the vision is equally clear: to offer passionate owners—those who take as much pleasure in piloting their aircraft as they do in driving a sports car—a helicopter that reflects them, a seamless extension of their lifestyle. The inaugural edition is limited to just 15 units. In less than two years, almost all are sold—to clients spanning five continents, from Canada to Australia, from Germany to the Philippines, and from Brazil to New Zealand. Faced with enthusiasm exceeding all expectations, a second series of 15 units is launched, followed by an aesthetic update presented at the global Heli Expo in Atlanta, introducing new colors and quilted details to meet a demand that shows no sign of slowing. 

Legendary Mechanics Draped in Exceptional Design Beneath its aeronautical bodywork, with sleek, contemporary lines that seem enhanced by light and glass, the ACH130 Aston Martin Edition rests on mechanical foundations whose reputation speaks for itself. At its heart lies the Safran Arriel 2D engine, a single-turbine powerplant delivering 952 horsepower at takeoff, offering 10% more power than its predecessors while achieving reduced fuel consumption—a technical feat any Aston Martin engineer would admire. Performance matches the promise: a cruising speed of 134 knots (250 km/h), a flight endurance of four hours corresponding to a range of approximately 650 kilometers (360 nautical miles with reserves), and maneuverability that allows landings in demanding environments such as high-sea yacht helipads or alpine platforms at high altitude. The helicopter can be flown by a single pilot, leaving up to six passenger seats available in the cabin. One of Its Most Remarkable Technological Signatures: the Fenestron® Tail Rotor. The ACH130 Aston Martin Edition features a Fenestron® shrouded tail rotor—designed by Airbus—whose latest evolution significantly reduces noise during approaches and landings, while providing an instantly recognizable visual signature. 

Combined with the variable-speed automatic control and active vibration control system, it delivers a flight comfort so smooth that only the most sophisticated helicopters on the market can claim it.  The Exterior: Four Liveries for an Unforgettable Presence Aesthetically, the ACH130 Aston Martin Edition is offered in a range of exterior liveries, each a work of art in its own right. The original colors—Xenon Grey, Arizona, Ultramarine Black, and the sumptuous Stirling Green—embody the unique chromatic identity of the Gaydon maison. Stirling Green deserves special mention: in the  inaugural version, it gradually blends into jet black on the helicopter’s underside, accented with Skyfall Silver around the windows—a subtle gradation of sophistication reminiscent of the glorious era of the DB11. Since the update, three new exterior shades have enriched the palette: Sovereign Grey, Deep Dark Crimson, and a singular Green—meeting the desires of a clientele for whom absolute uniqueness is a given. Whatever the chosen livery, the iconic Aston Martin wings proudly adorn the fuselage, marking each aircraft with the seal of belonging to a universe globally synonymous with the purest British excellence. 

The Cabin: An Aston Martin Lounge Suspended in the Air It is inside the cabin that the true soul of this collaboration is revealed. Stepping into the ACH130 Aston Martin Edition’s cabin is to enter a world where aviation and automotive art merge into a singular sensory experience—a new territory whose design demands as much from the couturier as from the engineer. The seats, sculpted to evoke the bucket seats of Aston Martin grand touring sedans, are upholstered in remarkably supple nappa leather, offered in four customizable shades: Oxford Tan—a warm, luminous biscuit tone that defines the most refined interiors; Pure Black, for absolute elegance; Cormorant, with its deep brown nuances; and Ivory, a soft, milky, and radiant hue. The rest of the cabin is upholstered in ultra-suede Pure Black—a noble material borrowed from Aston Martin’s automotive interior palette—covering the ceiling, side panels, and all trim details, enveloping the space in an atmosphere of unparalleled intimacy and refinement. Attention to detail reaches heights few aerospace or automotive workshops can claim. On the back of the short front seats, a central brogue detail—the signature perforated stitching seen in the DB11 interiors—flows flawlessly down to the hand-stitched leather pockets fixed to the lower portions of the seatbacks. The doors are fully trimmed in leather, providing contact points of a softness one would never expect several thousand feet above ground. The iconic Aston Martin wings are subtly embossed on the leather surfaces, placed throughout the cabin as discreet reminders of belonging to one of the most noble families in the history of industrial design. Each aircraft is fitted with a nameplate on the dashboard, featuring the logos of both partner houses, the aircraft registration number, the edition number—and, if the owner wishes, their own name.

This ultimate personalization transforms every ACH130 Aston Martin Edition into a singular, unrepeatable object, bearing the indelible imprint of its unique owner.  Price, Availability, and an Exceptional Clientele Airbus Corporate Helicopters does not officially disclose the price of the ACH130 Aston Martin Edition—a common practice among purveyors of truly exclusive objects, for which price is merely one variable in a negotiation driven above all by desire and rarity. Specialized observers and reports circulating in aerospace and luxury circles, however, place the base price at €3.3 million—before any additional customization options, which a clientele of this caliber is certain to request. The aircraft is available by order only, with delivery schedules agreed upon at the time of acquisition. Buyers of successive editions hail from five continents, eloquently demonstrating the global reach of an object that speaks the universal language of absolute refinement.

The typical owner is a pilot themselves, devoted to the pleasure of directly mastering their aircraft, attuned to the codes of high luxury, and accustomed to possessing objects admired worldwide without ever being seen up close. This is not a helicopter to be entrusted to a chauffeur. It is a helicopter to be flown—with the same quiet pride one feels gliding through the streets on the leather of an Aston Martin. Bond, the Myth, and the Soul of an Era It would be incongruous to speak of the ACH130 Aston Martin Edition without invoking the guiding shadow of Her Majesty’s most famous agent. Aston Martin and James Bond have shared a relationship since 1963 that time has never eroded—quite the opposite. References abound in this helicopter: the Skyfall Silver exterior accents—Skyfall, as in the twenty-third installment of the 007 saga—are no coincidence. Stirling Green recalls the marque’s great automotive triumphs. And the overall proposition—speed, discretion, distinction—matches perfectly the imagination of the cultivated cosmopolitan, an indefatigable traveler for whom commercial air travel is a concession, and a private helicopter, an obvious choice. 

The ACH130 Aston Martin Edition offers something beyond a mere luxury product. It embodies the promise of total freedom—taking off from one’s estate, yacht, mountain chalet, or island resort, without boarding times, airport lines, or delays. The freedom to arrive where others cannot, in a machine whose very presence on a helipad turns heads. Ultimately, this is what one acquires for over €3 million: not a means of transport, but a way of being.  An Aerial Masterpiece Awaiting Its Master In a world where luxury objects are multiplying, yet true rarity is becoming scarce, the ACH130 Aston Martin Edition occupies a category of its own—creations that need no justification, whose very existence asserts their inevitability. Two of Europe’s greatest signatures of excellence have poured into it their soul, their stylistic archives, and the full extent of their technical exactingness to produce something neither could have achieved alone.  For the rare few who will have the fortune—and the discernment—to take possession of one, the ACH130 Aston Martin Edition will not be a purchase: it will be a memory. The memory of the day when the sky, at last, became as beautiful as everything they had built below. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS  Engine: Safran Arriel 2D, single-turbine — 952 horsepower at takeoff  Cruising Speed: 134 knots (250 km/h)  Range: 4 hours of flight / approximately 650 km (360 NM with reserves)  Capacity: 1 pilot + 6 passengers  Tail Rotor: Fenestron® — low-noise technology, distinctive visual signature  Exterior Liveries: Xenon Grey, Arizona, Ultramarine Black, Stirling Green + 3 new shades  Interior Leather: Oxford Tan, Pure Black, Cormorant, Ivory on ultra-suede Pure Black  Manufacturing: Marignane, France (airframe construction) —  Oxford, UK (finishing)  Edition: Limited series of 15 units — available by order only  Indicative Price: From €3.3 million (varies with options)