Airbus Helicopters expects orders and deliveries to continue to grow this year as the world struggles to explore new sources of oil and military spending increases.
While demand for helicopters was less impacted by COVID-19 than for commercial aircraft, it remains stagnant. Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, expects this to change with new government priorities in the context of the war in Ukraine. In the year celebrating its thirtieth anniversary, the executive of what is currently the world’s largest civil helicopter manufacturer noted that “we expect a very strong year in terms of orders, especially in terms of the value of operations. The same path should be followed by revenues thanks to growth in services and deliveries.”
“2021 really marked a turning point. The previous years were very tough for the industry,” Even told Reuters. He added that flight hours are back to 2019 levels, and these correlate with aftermarket services, which make up almost half of Airbus Helicopters’ revenue. The number of used helicopters on the market -which harms new sales- has fallen, the executive added.
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“We are seeing the first positive signs in the oil and gas market, as well as positive signs of recovery in activity and flight hours,” Even said. Cleaner, more fuel-efficient models (such as the H160) are the biggest beneficiaries of that market growth.
The Ecureuil family -originally owned by Eurocopter before it was taken over by Airbus- is the world’s best-selling helicopter. Airbus aims to build between 180 and 190 of these this year and to exceed 200 by 2023. In 2020, production fell to 130 units before recovering to pre-COVID levels (around 160) in 2021.
However, rising inflation has added new risks to growth. The supply chain also remains fragile. “You have to be concerned as it affects the entire aerospace industry,” Even noted when asked about this issue. “The supply chain remains in a zone of tension that we expect to continue, at least, for months.”
