Asia-Pacific Helo Operators Focus on Fleet Harmonization

In Rotortrade’s APAC Helicopter Market Report 2025, the preowned rotorcraft sales and maintenance provider found that Asia-Pacific operators’ primary focus is on harmonization of their fleets, optimizing the life cycle of their helicopters, and supportability, “particularly as OEM lead times extend and operating costs rise.”

There is a split between those with long-term experience operating helicopters, who tend to buy more preowned machines, and those in less mature markets. The latter prefer new helicopters as they face regulatory, financing, or capability constraints, according to Rotortrade.

The strongest growth in 2025 took place in India, Australia, and New Zealand. China and Southeast Asia “continue to evolve at a measured pace,” the company added.

“APAC is not a single market,” said Aurelien Blanc, Rotortrade’s executive director and APAC, Middle East, and Africa head of region. “It’s a spectrum of maturity, and the way you sell a helicopter changes completely depending on where each country sits on that curve. In APAC, even neighbouring countries operate under completely different rules, with very different levels of operational experience and capability.”

The spectrum of market maturity among Asia-Pacific countries “directly influences fleet strategy, procurement behavior, and openness to preowned aircraft.”

Limited helicopter infrastructure in Central Asia and Mongolia indicates a preference for new aircraft, but they are also transitioning from Russian to Western helicopter platforms.

Government-led procurement is evident in China and parts of Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, according to Rotortrade, along with strong regulatory oversight. “Fleet harmonization is underway, particularly in offshore and parapublic operations, but regulatory barriers continue to shape acquisition behavior.”

India is developing rapidly, with growing government support, including signing the Cape Town Convention and a leasing framework that “have materially improved the viability of leasing and structured financing.” Use cases range from offshore transport to pilgrimage flights and a growing VIP charter market.

In Indonesia, plans are underway to buy up to 200 helicopters for public service and disaster response missions, “illustrating how some APAC markets are still in a fleet-build phase, compared to others that are now mostly replacement-driven.”

Australia and New Zealand are the most mature helicopter markets in the Asia-Pacific. “Operators demonstrate strong technical capability, condition-based purchasing behavior, and high acceptance of preowned aircraft. Demand is overwhelmingly replacement-led.”

In terms of market share, based on JetNet data, Airbus leads with 36.5% of the turbine helicopter market, followed by Bell at 31.2% and Leonardo at 20.3%. Sikorsky has a 6.1% share, with MD Helicopters at 4% and Robinson Helicopter at 1.9%.

“As markets mature, preowned aircraft stop being a compromise and become the natural solution,” Blanc concluded.