Airbus Helicopters, a subsidiary of the Europe-based global major Airbus aerospace and defence group, announced on Wednesday that it had won gross orders totalling 374 helicopters last year, with net orders coming to 362. Deliveries during 2022 totalled 344 helicopters, up from the 338 delivered in 2021. Preliminary data indicated that the company secured 52% of the global civil and ‘parapublic’ (law enforcement, emergency medical, civil security and related missions) helicopter markets last year.

“2022 was a year in which Airbus Helicopters solidified its recovery, in a context of instability with the war in Ukraine and a fragile supply chain,” affirmed company CEO Bruno Even. “I’d like to thank customers for their continued trust in Airbus Helicopters. Our teams will continue to work hard to meet their needs and deliver on our commitments in 2023.”

The gross order total was broken down as follows: 216 light single-engine helicopters (further subdivided into 161 H125s and 55 H160s), 124 light twin-engine machines (subdivided into 41 H135s and 83 H145s), 12 medium twin-engine H160s, eight super-medium twin-engine H175s and 14 heavy twin-engine Super Puma-family helicopters. “Our orders came from 203 customers in 48 countries, underlining the importance of our global network as well as showing that in uncertain times, the role of helicopters is more essential than ever,” he reported.

On the civil and parapublic side, last year saw the H160 enter service in Japan with All Nippon Helicopters (the first was actually delivered in December 2021 and was the first of this new type to be delivered to any customer, anywhere in the world). The first ACH160, the corporate version of the H160, was delivered to a customer in Brazil (it was flown out to Brazil on an Airbus Beluga oversize cargo aircraft). And in October the company delivered the initial two, of 36, H135s ordered by the Spanish Interior Ministry.

“It is no surprise that security is currently a priority for many countries,” he highlighted. “This is reflected in our order book with an important contract for 27 H125s with our longstanding partner, the Brazilian armed forces. We launched a major upgrade of the Tiger [attack] helicopter for the French and Spanish armies and we are also progressing with the design of the H175M assembly line in Broughton [in Wales] should we win the New Medium Helicopter campaign in the UK."

The company also secured a number of important support and services contracts last year. On the civil side, these included an In-Service HCare contract signed by Saudi Arabian operator The Helicopter Company, to support its fleet of 20 H145s and six ACH160s. On the military side, a follow-on contract was signed with the US Army to support its fleet of more than 480 UH-72A and UH-72B Lakota helicopters (a military version of the H145). And Airbus Helicopters subsidiary NHIndustries secured a service and support contract for its NH90 helicopters operated by the French and German armed forces.

Airbus Helicopters continued to develop its own VSR700 rotary-winged uncrewed aerial vehicle and in June was selected as the coordinator for the European Union’s Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project. The company was also engaged in programmes to reduce helicopter carbon dioxide emissions by 50% and to develop a electric-power vertical take-off or landing urban air mobility vehicle.  

The company has a maintenance, training and sales subsidiary based in South Africa. This is Airbus Helicopters Southern Africa, headquartered at Grand Central Airport, between Johannesburg and Pretoria, with additional maintenance facilities in Cape Town and in Nairobi, Kenya.