Airbus Helicopters is reporting a 27 percent increase in civil and parapublic orders in the first half of this year, as hopes on the Asian market are beginning to materialize.
The uptick, measured in units, mainly comprises light models – H125, H135 and H145. The region that contributed the most was Asia.
Global sales for all helicopter manufacturers grew by three percent in the period. However, the manufacturer notes this only should be seen as a stabilization overall. “The helicopter market began to stabilize in the first half of 2017 after seven years of erosion,” David Prevor, Airbus Helicopters’ head of marketing, said. The market, “still at a low level,” is expected to “recover” in 2018.
Airbus is betting on some key world economies, currently “underequipped,” to drive the growth over the 2017 to 2036 period, according to a global market forecast the manufacturer released on the eve of the Helitech show in London. China, India, Indonesia and Turkey, for example, combine large economies and major needs, Airbus believes. In China, the manufacturer has particular hope for growth in the emergency medical services market.
Some €125 billion ($146 billion) worth of helicopters above five seats or two metric tons are expected to be delivered over 2017 to 2036. The value of the support and service business is expected to be greater, at €245 billion. Of the 22,000 helicopters delivered, 50 percent will be light singles, according to Airbus.
The company has great hopes for super medium rotorcraft. H175 sales have so far been slow, mainly due to the trough in offshore oil-and-gas. But the super medium segment is expected to represent 21 percent of sales, in value, over the 2017 to 2036 period. Airbus recently ordered H175 cockpit control panels from France-based Latecoere and the numbers suggest at least 20 H175 deliveries per year over the next five years.
Sales in the energy sector will decline, partly because of the expected decrease in the world’s reliance on oil. But the sector will not disappear for helicopters. Wind farms will need one helicopter per 80 turbines, Prevor said.
The global fleet is foreseen to grow by 50 percent from 2017 to 2036. Sales in Asia-Pacific will account for a considerable portion of the global fleet’s expansion, thanks to a 157 percent growth of the fleet in the region over the period. Besides new demand in Asia-Pacific, another driver will be North American replacement needs.
Despite Airbus Helicopters’ significant research and development investment in high-speed rotorcraft, the category is not factored in the forecast.
