Airbus Helicopters is the market leader in the UK, “with 46 percent of the civil and parapublic market,” according to parent company Airbus. It reported sales of 14 helicopters there last year, “demonstrating a year-on-year average growth in the civil market of 36 percent since 2013.” This comes against a general trend for sluggish sales in the sector.
Among the successes was an order for four customized H125s for Qinetiq for use by its Empire Test Pilot School. In the private and business aviation segment of the market, Airbus Helicopters UK, which has a growing base at London Oxford Airport, notched sales for six helicopters. The UK subsidiary has set up “an integrated sales network across Europe and inaugurated a new private and business customer facility” at its headquarters in Oxford.
In the defense segment, the company has continued to develop its role in the UK Military Flying Training System (MFTS), for which it delivered 25 H135 Juno helicopters in 2017, “the highest number of H135s ever delivered to a single customer in a year.” As part of MFTS, it created a new facility at RAF Shawbury with two hangars for maintenance and logistics support of the Juno fleet, which is 29 strong when the four H145s at RAF Valley are included. Added to this is a Puma 2 follow-on support contract signed last year. “Airbus Helicopters continues to strengthen its partnership with the UK MoD,” said the company.
Colin James, Airbus Helicopters UK managing director, said, “As a home country, it is Airbus Helicopters’ role to invest in current and future UK-based rotary-wing solutions and technology for the benefit of customers…Furthermore, by leveraging on our civil business know-how, we are helping to drive efficiencies into the UK defense helicopters market.”