Airbus Helicopters reported steady performance in 2014, with heavyweight helicopters dominating deliveries.
The company delivered 471 rotorcraft from the company’s civil, parapublic and military product lines and booked 402 net orders. In addition, the backlog was adjusted to include a reduction of 33 NH90s.
Airbus Helicopters stabilized its civil and parapublic market position with a 44 percent share in terms of aircraft delivered.
For military rotorcraft, Airbus retained its market presence during 2014 with an 11 percent share in terms of units delivered. Milestones included completion of the Tiger attack helicopter program’s main development contract, enabling deliveries of the first Block 2 Tiger HAD fire support and destruction version to France and two of the HAD/E variant to Spain. The company received U.S. Army orders for 51 UH-72A Lakota, the Light Utility Helicopters version of the EC145.
The year marked Airbus Helicopters’ first year with its new identity (earlier Eurocopter) and full integration into Airbus Group, the company achieved an unprecedented certification and service introduction of three new aircraft: the 7-metric-ton-category EC175, along with the medium-sized EC145 T2 and EC135 T3/P3 versions.
The 2015 will mark the first flight of its next-generation X4 medium twin-engine rotorcraft – to be unveiled at the Heli-Expo trade show on March 3.
For the first time deliveries of heavy class helicopters surpassed the 100 milestone, as 53 NH90s and 48 Super Pumas were delivered.
The first digital avionics suite to be fully designed and integrated by Airbus Helicopters Helionix® debuted in 2014 on both the EC175 and EC145 T2 helos.
Helionix improves safety through reduced pilot workload, enhanced situational awareness, improved flight envelope protection and system redundancy.
Civil products represented 52 percent of consolidated turnover; military was 48 percent Airbus Helicopters’ products accounted for 58 percent of consolidated turnover; the other 42 percent was generated by services 54 percent of consolidated turnover came from Europe, the Middle East and Africa; 27 percent from the Americas and 19 percent from Asia and Pacific.
