Helicopter - Airbus reports - AIN Alerts

October 6, 2015

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Airbus Helicopters Strives To Maintain Orders, Revenues Airbus Helicopters had a healthy first half despite a challenging situation in the oil-and-gas segment, the company said on the eve of the Helitech show today in London. Due to enduring low oil prices, “it is a down cycle,” said CEO Guillaume Faury. Sales of the heavy H225 Super Puma, a workhorse for the offshore industry, are thus under pressure. But Faury also sees an opportunity for “helicopters that can make a lot of things.” This is the reason why orders for the H175 “super medium” twin are beating the company's objective, according to Faury. He had set a target of 20 orders for 2015 and Airbus had received bookings for 28 as of late September. H175 deliveries, however, have been slow. Only three were delivered in 2014—two to NHV and one, quietly, to Russia's UTair—and none so far in 2015. NHV will take another six H175s by December, but other operators are waiting until next year. Airbus had planned to deliver 18 H175s this year. The 152 overall deliveries in the first half is much lower than the 200 helicopters shipped in the first six months of 2014. Nevertheless, the company managed to increase its revenues by 5.3 percent. Overall orders declined in units, from 148 to 135 helicopters, but increased in value.