588 Helicopters Delivered On Year

Eurocopter noted with some pride Tuesday it held onto the title of world’s leading helicopter manufacturer in 2008, stating it "fully met its 2008 objectives for helicopter sales and deliveries."

The company reported orders for 715 new helos in 2008, the bulk of which (340) were for the AS350/355 Ecureuil/Fennec/EC130 family. That figure also includes sales of 123 EC135 models, and 12 new orders for the NH90 multi-role military helicopter.

Eurocopter reported deliveries of 588 civil and military helicopters, leaving an order backlog worth over $18 billion US. A full 64 percent of Eurocopter's sales and deliveries are from export markets.

"Although 2009 economic trends are unpredictable and will see cancellations, Eurocopter is confident that its backlog and unique business model should be major assets in retaining its solidity through 2009 and beyond," the company stated.

"Our comprehensive and diverse product and services portfolio has once again proven to be perfectly adapted to customer requirements and their broad scope of mission versatility," said Eurocopter CEO Lutz Bertling. "In 2008, we achieved another excellent sales result."

Eurocopter made technical progress during the year by fully qualifying the Tiger in its HAP and UHT variants, and by ramping up NH90 production with first deliveries from the Finnish and Australian assembly lines. The company also delivered its 50th UH-72A Lakota to the US Army, and launched production of the first EC175 prototype co-developed with Chinese partners.

"I cannot emphasize strongly enough that our global industrial strategy is a backbone of our market and business strength," Bertling said. "...As I mentioned last year, Eurocopter is well on its way to becoming a full services provider."

FMI: www.eurocopter.com