Turbomeca, the French helicopter turbine engine manufacturer, predicts the helicopter market overall will experience continued strong growth for the next two years before cooling somewhat. In that span, the company will be working overtime to keep up with demand.
Turbomeca vice president of market and products strategy Charles Claveau offered an overall assessment of the helicopter market, saying the biggest impediment to growth isn’t the sagging economy but rather production capacity. “Today our view is that our business will increase for at least the next two years,” he said. “After that it will stabilize or continue to slightly increase because we think that today the markets are limited by production capacity of the helicopter manufacturers.” By 2010 deliveries will reach the upper level of market demand and afterward will stabilize at around 1,500 engines per year, he said. At present, Claveau noted, Turbomeca’s business is split approximately 50:50 between military and civil buyers.
