Rotortrade Releases Optimistic Global Market Report

Helicopter dealership and leasing company Rotortrade has released its Global Helicopter Market Report 2026, which found that “demand for helicopters remains strong, despite continued production constraints and extended delivery backlogs at the OEM level.”

While EMS, offshore energy, and firefighting operators are driving demand, especially for twin-engine helicopters in the aeromedical segment, there remains “a structural imbalance shaping the market: strong customer demand versus constrained OEM production capacity,” according to Rotortrade. This is leading operators to move more into preowned helicopters due to delivery slots for new helicopters stretching out 42 to 48 months. “This dynamic continues to reinforce the strategic relevance of the secondary market,” the company said.

The Airbus Helicopters twin-engine fleet is the world’s largest, with 4,459 helicopters at the end of 2025. Leonardo follows at 2,297, Bell at 1,937, and Sikorsky at 1,371.

The fleet of single-engine turbine helicopters is dominated by Airbus and Bell, with 6,707 and 6,760, respectively. Robinson Helicopter’s R66 fleet has reached 1,413, while MD Helicopters stood at 1,330; Leonardo, 317; and Enstrom, 161.

Robinson has the largest share of piston helicopters, with 78%—9,929 aircraft—at the end of 2025. Schweizer is next at 1,314, followed by Bell at 753; Enstrom, 440; and Guimbal, 355. Guimbal has the “second highest production rate of piston helicopters, [and its] fleet continues to build,” according to Rotortrade.