Orders (for 333 helicopters) and deliveries (393) at Airbus Helicopters last year fell short of expectations. In 2014 the company took orders for 402 helicopters and delivered 471 at a time when it was already feeling the effects of the market slowdown. Revenue last year was split evenly between the civil and military sectors, said the company; it declined to disclose those figures. CEO Guillaume Faury attributed the lackluster sales to low oil prices and “delays in the key military campaigns.” In fact, the company received orders for only two H225-series helicopters, which traditionally sell in oil-and-gas and defense. Against the backdrop of globally dwindling sales, the company sees a bright spot in the civil and parapublic markets, claiming a 45-percent share–a slight increase–of deliveries to those sectors.
The order book will open this year for the H160 medium twin, the second prototype of which flew recently with Turbomeca Arrano engines. An all-new and more automated final assembly line will be inaugurated for the H160 in this year’s second half. Faury has long advocated the use of production processes inspired by the automotive sector.
The numbers Airbus released combine the civil and military versions of its products. But for some models, AIN assumes that most (if not all) orders were civil: the H120, H125 and H130 light singles (163 ordered), the H135 light twin (49 ordered) and the H175 super medium twin (36 ordered). The H175, however, is still in the hands of only one operator–Belgium’s NHV–13 months after it entered service.
Faury predicted in late January last year that 2015 would be a year of steady deliveries and brisker orders, while heavy helicopters would retain their stature in the mix. Despite the way 2015 unfolded, he stated that the company is “now harvesting the fruit of our strategic transformation plan, which puts us in the best position to operate successfully despite a challenging market environment; our focus on customer satisfaction, quality and safety, as well as competitiveness, has produced tangible results on our journey to go from the biggest to the best.” The company does not expect to announce plans for workforce reductions any time soon.