The civil turbine helicopter fleet in the Asia-Pacific region increased 3.9 percent to 4,086 rotorcraft in 2017, according to Asian Sky Group's fifth consecutive fleet report for the Asia Pacific region. The newly released Asia Pacific Civil Helicopter Fleet Report YE 2017 provides information about turbine-powered civil helicopters by fleet size, replacement cost, mission segments, size categories and manufacturer. It is sponsored by Waypoint Leasing.
The year-end 2017 report includes a section on offshore activity, discussing the continued impact of the oil-and-gas downturn on the civil helicopter market, as well as an in-depth section on the Asia-Pacific’s fastest-growing civil helicopter market, Mainland China. Also included is a section on the helicopter leasing market, providing a breakdown of leased helicopters by lessor and country.
According to the report, 62 percent of the region’s total civil turbine helicopter fleet operates in just four countries: Australia, Japan, Mainland China and New Zealand. Mainland China added 86 helicopters last year, up 17.4 percent from 2016, and is the leading regional growth driver for the past three years.
Just more than half of the Asia-Pacific fleet operates in multi-mission roles, while the rest of the fleet is evenly dispersed among the corporate, offshore, law enforcement, search-and-rescue and emergency-medical-service (EMS) markets, the report notes. When evaluated by replacement cost, multi-mission role helicopters drop to less than 40 percent and the offshore segment becomes significantly larger, at 21 percent of the total fleet value. The Asia-Pacific offshore segment is anticipated to begin a recovery as the oil-and-gas sector improves.
EMS, although currently the smallest segment of the market—6 percent by units and 8 percent by replacement cost—is expected to become one of the fastest growing segments. Asian Sky Group added a new section to this year’s report that focuses on the fast-growing EMS segment, which showcases the Asia-Pacific’s fleet by country, model and operator.
Helicopters produced by the “big four” manufacturers—Airbus, Bell, Leonardo and Sikorsky—comprise more than 85 percent of the Asia-Pacific fleet. Airbus Helicopters holds the largest market share in the region, with more than 40 percent of the installed fleet.
Also featured in ASG's latest fleet report are a number of profiles on key companies working in the rotary industry in the region. Independent helicopter lessor Waypoint Leasing describes the company’s expansion into the Asia-Pacific region and its new office in Hong Kong, along with its forecast for the coming years.
Spectrum Aeromed, designer and developer of air ambulance medical interiors for fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, explains the process of providing EMS solutions to operators. Shanghai-based Kingwing Aviation also discusses its plan for operating 80 EMS helicopters by the end of this year, and Beijing Red Cross Emergency Rescue Center outlines the need for helicopters in the city’s rescue services.