Airbus Helicopters delivered 346 helicopters and logged 393 net orders (410 gross) in 2023, up from 344 deliveries and 362 net orders in 2022. Orders came from 179 customers in 47 countries, giving it an estimated 54 percent share of the civil and parapublic market, according to the company. For the year, orders increased by nearly 10 percent compared with 2022.
CEO Bruno Even called the results “a testament to the versatility of our products on both the civil and military market[s].” However, Even also pointed out that while deliveries represented a “slight increase” from 2022, they were still 20 percent below pre-Covid 2019 levels.
Orders for H145 twins led the book with 186, followed by 108 H125 singles, 39 H130 singles, 29 H135 light twins, 26 H160 intermediate twins, 14 H175 super-medium twins, and eight military NH90s, a helicopter co-produced in a joint venture with Leonardo. Airbus did not book any orders for the Super Puma family of heavy twins.
Even said he expected demand for Super Pumas to pick up now that an “enhanced” or eMGB main gearbox is available for that aircraft family, which includes the H225. All new-build helicopters will be delivered with the eMGB, and it also will be available for retrofit. Even said Airbus would continue to invest in the Super Puma line with the “latest level of technology” and noted renewed interest for the models in key markets including China, Brazil, and Vietnam for both military and civil customers, including the offshore energy sector.
He declined to speculate if the model would be able to overcome negative perceptions in the “specific context” of the North Sea market, the site of several Super Puma crashes that were ultimately linked to flaws in the old gearbox design—most notably a 2016 accident near Turoy, Norway, that killed all 13 aboard and led to a temporary but lengthy worldwide grounding of the fleet.
Citing the continuing shortage of heavy offshore lift, Even said, “I’m convinced the H225 can come back,” mentioning the rebound of used H225 prices. But he also noted that a good deal of its missions could be accomplished by Airbus’ newer super-medium H175. Even believes the militarized version of that helicopter, the H175M, is a strong contender for large fleet sales, including the UK Ministry of Defense’s $1.5 billion requirement for 44 new medium helicopters.
Even said orders for its market-leading H125 single likely were depressed by increased interest rates and negatively impacted “the ability of this type of customer to access a financing solution.” And while the relatively new H160 intermediate twin, which gained FAA certification validation in June, accounted for just 26 orders in 2023, he said the program had “good momentum” going forward. That includes a commitment for 169 of the H160M variant from the French Ministry of Armed Forces announced in 2021.
Aftermarket services continued to be a bright spot for the company. More than 3 million flight hours across the installed fleet in 2023 helped drive the growth of HCare services contracts for both civil and military customers, with 140 new helicopters enrolled in the plans and 2,760 helicopters overall.
Even said the company continues to invest in platforms with new technology, including the Racer (rapid and cost-effective rotorcraft) compound helicopter and the next-generation CityAirbus eVTOL, both of which are expected to make first flights later this year. Airbus also is test flying specially-configured H130 single-engine and H135 twin-engine platforms evaluating hybridization, the DisruptiveLab, and PioneerLab.
He said that Airbus Helicopters is continuing its commitment to lower emissions with these aircraft and will also be boosting its use of sustainable aviation fuel for test flights, training, delivery, and ferry flights from its facilities in both Marignane, France, and Donauwörth, Germany, to 10 percent. The company will continue to roll this out to its other sites in 2024.