Airbus Helicopters Inc. and
Airbus Helicopters Canada Ltd. solidified their position as the North American
market leader in civil and parapublic helicopters in 2016 despite a difficult
market environment that saw a dramatic decline in total industry orders.
The companies delivered a
combined 60 new helicopters to the civil and parapublic market in 2016, 50
percent of the total deliveries in North America. The two companies booked a
total of 64 orders for new aircraft, or an estimated 73 percent of all new
helicopter bookings in North America. In both deliveries and bookings, the
companies increased their share of the North America helicopter market.
The solid performance in a down
market reflects the value that customers place on the quality, productivity, and
reliability of Airbus products, as well as a strong, ongoing commitment to
improving customer support and all facets of the “Airbus Experience” for
helicopter operators, said Chris
Emerson, President of Airbus
Helicopters Inc. and head of the North America region.
“The North America team did an
outstanding job of both bringing in new business and meeting commitments to
existing customers in 2016,” said Emerson. “This is a sign that customers
appreciate our strengthened commitment to providing both a high quality
helicopter and outstanding service at every step of the sales and delivery
process, as well as world-class customer support once the aircraft is in
operation. Despite the challenging market conditions orders were booked from 20
new customers, including five that had not previously owned or operated a
helicopter.”
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Airbus H125 Helicopter |
Photo: Airbus. |
New aircraft orders in 2016
included 33 H125 AStars built in the United States. The H125, which is produced
by Airbus Helicopters Inc. at its plant in Columbus, Miss., is the highest
performance single-engine helicopter available and is a market leader for law
enforcement, air medical transport, utility and corporate/VIP customers. The
Airbus H145 is quickly becoming a strong player in the North America market with
seven orders in 2016. Airbus also booked orders for five earlier models in the
H145 family, nine H130s and seven H135s.
Strong growth in business from
corporate and VIP customers in 2016 softened the decline in sales in other
market segments.
“There is a growing awareness on
the part of many executives, entrepreneurs and wealthy individuals that a
helicopter can be an extremely useful transportation tool, not just a luxury,”
said Emerson. “The sale of an H145 to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is a
prime example of an executive whose time is too valuable to spend stuck in
traffic in a large metro area like Dallas.”
Airbus Helicopters Inc. also saw
its military business flourish. The company delivered 35 UH-72A Lakotas to the
U.S. Army on time and on budget, and secured a new five-year, $1 billion
contract from the Army to provide logistics support for Lakotas based both in
the continental U.S. and outside.
Airbus Helicopters Inc., based in
Grand Prairie, Texas and Airbus Helicopters Canada Ltd., based in Fort Erie,
Ontario are both affiliates of Airbus.
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