Helicopters - Airbus, Sikorsky and Bell moves ahead in Asia/Singapore - AIN

Airbus Helicopters Boosts Singapore Center, Logs Orders

In response to growth in the Asia Pacific market, Airbus Helicopters is upgrading its Singapore assembly facility into a center of excellence for assembly and delivery of aircraft. This week at Rotorcraft Asia in Singapore, the Europe-based manufacturer announced plans to expand its market share in the Asia Pacific region, signaling its intent with new business announcements. Yesterday, Philippines-based operator PhilJets group ordered an H145 twin-engine model and a pair of H135 singles. The aircraft are due to be delivered in the fourth quarter and will be used for the customer’s executive and VIP charter services. The deal will make PhilJets the largest Airbus Helicopters customer in Asia. It already operates four H130s, one EC130B4 and an AS350B2. Separately, Airbus Helicopters signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore Post to develop and conduct trials of the Skyways project that could see unmanned aircraft used to deliver mail and packages. The agreement was signed by Jean-Brice Dumont, Airbus Helicopters' vice president of engineering and chief technical officer, and Mervyn Lim, Singapore Post group CEO. Airbus has designed the proposed octocopter drone from scratch to be capable of carrying loads of approximately two to four kilograms (2.2 to 4.4 pounds). Two prototypes are currently undergoing tests in France and another in Singapore. Sikorsky Boosts S-92 and S-76 Helicopter Support in Asia Sikorsky is expanding support infrastructure for S-92 and S-76 helicopters in the Asia Pacific region by making Thai Aviation Services (TAS) its first customer support center (CSC) in Thailand beginning at the end of this year. The U.S. manufacturer, which announced the news yesterday at this week’s Rotorcraft Asia show in Singapore, already has six CSCs in the region, with sites in Japan, India, Australia and Malaysia. TAS already operates five S-76s and two S-92s itself. Christophe Nurit, Sikorsky’s regional sales executive for Asia, told AIN that Sikorsky claims a market share of approximately 13 percent in Asia. “The market has been flat for us in this region recently but its better than a decline,” he said. “ We are still seeing more S-92s being put into service in Australia than before.” Currently, there are approximately 50 of Sikorsky’s S-92 flagships flying in the region, compared to 12 in 2012. Some of these aircraft were not delivered new from Sikorsky, but rather were aircraft moved on to new customers after being released by operators in the oil-and-gas sector. The manufacturer reported a 20 percent increase in flight hours flown by S-92 operators, boosting revenues from spare parts. Bell Helicopter Scores More Sales in Asia Pacific Under a deal signed this week at Rotorcraft Asia, Indonesia-based air charter firm PT Air Pacific Utama will be the first operator in the country to operate the Bell 407GXP and the first in Asia to sign up for Bell’s Customer Advantage Plan (CAP) service solution. The Premier CAP program that PT Air opted for covers scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and parts for a fixed hourly cost. The company has also subscribed to CAP for its two existing Bell 407s. Bell also logged orders for its 429 medium twin helicopter from three customers at the show—Tata Steel in India, Terra Barbaza Aviation in the Philippines and Bangladesh’s Meghna Aviation, each acquiring a single unit. Meghna Aviation currently operates a Bell 407GX and a Robinson R66 and will be the first user in the country to fly the Bell 429. Vietnam Helicopter will also become the country’s first Bell 505 Jet Ranger X operator, signing a deal yesterday at Rotorcraft Asia for two of the new light helicopters. “We are in a unique time in the Asia-Pacific, because the GDP levels are up. Our key markets now are Indonesia, Philippines, India, Thailand and Australia, as well as the emerging markets such as Myanmar and Vietnam,” said Sameer Rehman, Bell Helicopter’s managing director of Asia Pacific.