With the signing of an historic $250 million deal for commercial helicopters, Sikorsky’s once-dormant civil product line continues a dramatic four-year growth spurt.
Offshore Logistics (Olog) has signed with Sikorsky to receive 35 S-76s up to 2012, with options to buy 24 more. The bulk of the order is for the S-76C++ variant, but Olog is keen to shift as many orders as possible to the new S-76D variant that is scheduled to be ready in 2008, says William Chiles, Olog president and chief executive.
The first 21 aircraft are to be delivered by 2007, so Olog is hopeful that Sikorsky can accelerate the S-76D variant by one year, Chiles adds.
Olog is behind on refreshing its 400-aircraft fleet with new helicopters, making further rounds of orders with Sikorsky possible in the near future. Chiles says a deal for S-92s may soon follow.
Sikorsky senior vice-president Jeff Pino credits the Olog contract as a further sign of the company’s dramatic turnaround on civil products since 2001.
Annual commercial aircraft revenues have exploded to $600 million, which is six times the 2001 figure.
Source: Flight International
