Page 30 - AAA SEPTEMBER - OCOTBER 2017 Online Magazine

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Settling into Hover

The Asian rotorcraft market has stabilised in 2017, however, growth may take a while to return
By Atul Chandra

the overAll sentiMent in the AsiAn market. However, with Australia, China and have recently been announced and these
rotorcraft market has been depressed this India accounting for the largest fleets of off- could lead to India emerging as an important
year as a result of a decline in oil and gas, shore helicopters in the region, growth rates rotorcraft market post 2020.
mining activity. The civilian rotorcraft market are unlikely to pick up drastically till 2020.
in the Asia-Pacific region is largely dependent In terms of markets for the four major Dominant Player
on Australia, Japan, China and New Zealand rotorcraft OEMs (Airbus, Bell, Sikorsky and Two important markets for helicopters
with regards to volume sales, as they make Leonardo), Australia remains the largest which have been highly successful for Airbus
up 61 percent of the region’s helicopter market for Bell, Japan remains the largest Helicopters are China and Japan. In both
market according to Hong Kong based Asian market for Airbus and Leonardo, while these markets, the company is celebrating
Sky Group (ASG). ASG’s year-end 2016 Asia- Sikorsky continues to lead in the China 50 years since the first delivery of their first
Pacific Civil Helicopter Fleet Report, lists the market as per the report. The largest fleet helicopters. Airbus Helicopters delivered
turbine rotorcraft fleet in the region at 3,924 of Russian made civil helicopters in the its first helicopters into China and Japan in
at the end of 2016, an overall growth rate of region is present in South Korea, whereas 1967, when Alouette IIIs were handed over.
four percent. India operates the largest Russian military Following its Alouette III deliveries to China,
Only half of the 34 countries in the region helicopter fleet in the region. China remained the following decades have seen several
experienced y-o-y growth in 2016 and as the market driver in a weak 2016, with cooperation agreements being signed
per ASG, Greater China led the rotorcraft orders for a substantial 85 helicopters. for the AS365 Dauphin, H120 Colibri, joint
market in the region with a y-o-y growth of MultiMission helicopters make up the bulk production of H175/AC352 helicopters. In the
20.5 percent (including Mainland China, Hong of the in-service fleet in APAC, however, the span of 50 years, the demand for rotorcraft
Kong, Macau and Taiwan). Growth remained coming years are expected to see substantial in China has grown steeply and in 2016 it
healthy in New Zealand (seven percent) and demand for search and rescue (SAR) became the largest civil market for Airbus
South Korea (six percent). Australia, Japan and emergency medical services (EMS) Helicopters. The single engine Ecureuil fleet
and the Philippines, all grew at two percent in configured helicopters. Despite the oft- in China has now reached 100, making it the
2016, while India and Thailand managed a one touted potential of India as a key rotorcraft largest single helicopter type in the country.
percent growth rate as per the report. Growth growth market due to its size and geography, Large orders have been common and in 2015,
rates are expected to improve next year on rotorcraft sales have not taken off in close to China’s CMIG Leasing placed orders for 100
account of an improvement in the oil and gas a decade. However, new Government policies Ecureuil family rotorcraft. 20 helicopters
30 ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 WWW.GBP.COM.SG/AAA