With a new generation of light single-engine helicopters on the horizon, continued strong demand for twins and aggressive fleet replacement plans worldwide, the rarefied rotorcraft market is “approaching capacity,” according to the annual new helicopter delivery forecasts being released here today by Honeywell (Booth No. 2137) and Rolls-Royce (Booth No. 1917). Both forecasts predict more growth across virtually all turbine helicopter market sectors through 2016, with demand intensifying over the next five years.
The Honeywell five-year forecast, which covers only civil turbine helicopters, predicts deliveries of 4,450 units through 2012, while Rolls-Royce’s 10-year outlook projects deliveries of 15,711 civil and military helicopters worth $154 billion through 2017. Rolls-Royce breaks out the civil component of this total, predicting deliveries of 9,095 helicopters with a combined engine/airframe value of $35.7 billion.
