Aero Asset’s 2022 twin-engine helicopter market report reveals a continuing tight used market. Compared with the previous year, transactions of preowned twins fell 4 percent, the number of helicopters for sale dropped 11 percent, light twin retail sales fell 10 percent, and the supply for resale decreased in all asset classes in 2022. However, the aggregate value of transactions increased by 2 percent, to $558 million on 171 helicopters.
Tight supply led to more interest in helicopters 20 years and older, where sales “experienced a strong resurgence,” according to Valerie Pereira, vice president of market research for the consultancy.
Geographically, North America and Europe combined for 73 percent of all twin transactions, but European transactions plunged by 20 percent. While pending deals rose 35 percent in the fourth quarter of 2022, for the year the deal pipeline dropped 15 percent from the count in 2020 and 2019.
Top twin-engine performers for valuation included the Airbus EC/H135, EC/H145, and Sikorsky S-76 C+/C++, while market laggards included the Leonardo AW169, Sikorsky S-76D, and Bell 429, which fell from a rank of two to 10 in popularity in class between 2021 and 2022. Medium and heavy twin sales remained stable year-over-year.