Airbus Helicopters saw both net and gross orders climb slightly in 2016 despite describing the 12 months as “probably the most difficult year of the last decade” for the whole rotorcraft industry. Deliveries were up 5% to 418, up from 395 the previous year.
Against a “challenging market backdrop” the Marignane, France-based manufacturer recorded 388 gross orders last year, up from 383 in 2015. However, the rate of cancellations appears to have eased, with net orders at 353, against 333 in the previous 12 months.
2016 bookings include 188 light singles, 163 light and medium twins, and 23 from the troubled Super Puma family.
Chief executive Guillaume Faury says: “For the rotorcraft industry as a whole, 2016 was probably the most difficult year of the last decade.”
It was successful in two military campaigns last year, it says, with Kuwait and Singapore both selecting the H225M. However, with Super Puma bookings totalling only 23, it seems unlikely that these deals have been finalised.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
