Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

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Mark Huber

Safran Helicopter Engines CEO&nbsp;Franck Saudo&nbsp;describes the helicopter market as “superb” even while acknowledging “severe supply-chain headwinds.” Speaking with reporters just ahead of Heli-Expo, Saudo characterized the business as&nbsp;“the best market I have seen for close to the past ten years.” With “positive momentum in next to all helicopter market segments” in “all geographical areas,” the upward trend prevails for both new helicopter demand and the aftermarket, he added. He attributed the scenario to an increase in worldwide helicopter flight hours, which&nbsp;have returned to pre-pandemic levels and contributed to a “robust and sustained demand for new helicopters” that has eclipsed the demand recorded in 2019.&nbsp;
Saudo said his company’s supply chain “remains very much constrained...mainly due to labor shortages” and constitutes “the number one challenge of our company in 2023.” He said that Safran has battled the problem by becoming increasingly vertically integrated and adding employees—400 last year and an estimated 200 in 2023. Material shortages are acute in steel, particularly superalloys, he added. “In the foreseeable future, I do not see an improvement,” Saudo said. “We keep assessing the situation.”&nbsp;
Citing a number of company milestones and accomplishments, Saudo noted Safran's&nbsp;fleet of 15,000 Arriel series engines achieving 60 million flight hours, significant OEM orders for Bell 505s and Airbus H125s and H160s, and the signing of large service contracts with the French government and the U.S. Army—the latter in support of the branch’s fleet of more than 400 Airbus Helicopters UH-72A/B Lakota models. He said the company continues its sustainability commitment, working to make its engines up to 20 percent more fuel efficient and moving toward certifying its engines to operate on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel. It also continues work on its “eco mode” feature, which rolls back one engine to flight idle while a twin-engine helicopter is in cruise flight, and advancing its long-term commitment to hybridization research.&nbsp;

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

Safran CEO Lauds 'Robust' Helicopter Market

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News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

Improved engine production and test facilities are mainly focused on military programs

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News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

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News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

HAI Convention News 2023

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