Helicopters - Airbus update - AIN

Deliveries, Orders Surge at Airbus Helicopters

Deliveries and new orders surged at Airbus Helicopters during the first quarter, but the OEM still managed to post a loss for the quarter, according to financial reports released today by parent company Airbus. Revenues at the helicopter division were up 11 percent, to €1.291 billion ($1.41 billion) from €1.158 billion ($1.26 billion) in the year-ago period. However, comparable earnings dropped from €33 million ($36 million) in first-quarter 2016 to a €2 million ($2.18 million) loss in the first three months of this year. Airbus attributed the helicopter unit’s earnings slide to “an unfavorable mix and lower commercial flight hours in services, as well as impacts associated with the partial H225 grounding.” Overall first-quarter helicopter orders at the company climbed 41 percent year-over-year, to €1.417 billion ($1.55 billion), while the overall order book for helicopters rose a modest 1 percent from the end of last year, to €11.392 billion ($12.43 billion) Civil helicopter deliveries increased to 78 in the quarter, up from 56 in the same period last year. While net helicopter orders increased by nine aircraft year-over-year, to 60, book-to-bill was still below 1:1 in the quarter. Orders in the first quarter included 10 for members of the Super Puma family and 14 for H145 twins.