155 Aircraft on Orders Provides Bountiful Crop of Business for Airbus Helo Arm

Airbus Helicopters capped their Heli-Expo 2024 attendance with commitments for 155 aircraft in all, bolstering their presence in the international helo market with a raft of rescue, tour, and passenger transit sales.

Granted, of those 155 'commitments', only 40 are firm orders, but things have a way of working out when clients want them. High-profile operators like German SAR and medevac specialist DRF Luftrettung got Airbus some nice bragging rights this time around, padding out their world fleet with some brand-new Airbus aircraft. That deal saw the sale of up to 10 H145s. Another buyer, Canadian tour operator Niagara Helicopters, added half a dozen H130s, and offshore courier Bristow an order for 15 H135s. The biggest order went to THC, who placed an order for up to 120 aircraft of varying types, with at least 8 H125s and 10 H145s.

Airbus Helicopters continued to pump up its HCare contract, too. They saw some successes offering 'tip-to-tail coverage' for all 18 of Air Center Helicopters’ H225 helicopters. A high-profile Czech EMS provider, DSA, signed a contract to cover their 8 H135s in similar fashion.

“We thank our customers for placing their trust in our teams and our products and services with 155 commitments and 40 firm orders announced at this year’s Heli-Expo," said Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO. "It is a unique opportunity in the year to meet and exchange with customers and industry players. In 2023, our global fleet achieved 3 million flight hours so customer feedback is essential and it drives the continuous improvement of our solutions to enhance their critical, often life-saving, missions."

FMI: www.airbus.com