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Eurocopter
Helicopter Sales Up By 12 Percent In 2011 By Steve Hall |
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January 28, 2012 - Eurocopter generated a record high
annual turnover in 2011 as the company benefitted from
long-term strategies of investing in innovation to keep
its helicopter product line at the forefront, growing
the international footprint, developing services
businesses and optimizing internal operations.
The deliveries of 503 rotary-wing aircraft in 2011,
along with Eurocopter’s enhanced support and services
activities, generated a turnover of 5.4 billion Euros,
representing a growth of 12.5 percent from the previous
year, and marking the first time Eurocopter’s annual
turnover has surpassed the 5 billion euro volume.
Deliveries included the 1,000th Dauphin, which was
received by Indian operator Pawan Hans; the 1,000th
EC135, provided to the German ADAC automobile club one
of Eurocopter’s longest-standing customers; and the
100th EC225, accepted by the Bristow Group. |
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New
helicopter orders also picked up last year, with the 457 net
bookings representing a value of 4.7 billion Euros, compared
with the 346 helicopters sold in 2010. The year’s business
included initial firm orders for the new EC175; major bookings
for the EC225 from CHC Helicopter, CITIC Offshore Helicopter
Co., Bristow Helicopters and RTE; the continuation of orders
from the U.S. Army for the UH-72A Lakota; and the first large
booking for Eurocopter’s enhanced EC145 T2 helicopter version
from Germany’s DRF Luftrettung.
“We marked
many key achievements during the past 12 months, which were the
results of our company’s across-the-board strategy to invest,
innovate and improve as we continue Eurocopter’s industry
leadership,” said President & CEO Lutz Bertling. “As Eurocopter
celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2012, we are well positioned
for the future.”
Deliveries
of new production helicopters represented 51 percent of
Eurocopter’s 2011 consolidated turnover, while support and
services continued its growth to account for 38 percent of the
total. The remaining 11 percent was generated by development and
other activities. The company’s unveiling of its new EC145 T2 version and introduction of the enhanced “e” upgrades for the AS350, EC135, AS365 and AS332 were well received by the market. Eurocopter’s emphasis on innovation was underscored by the initial public appearance of its X3 high-speed demonstrator aircraft at the Paris Air Show, and the start-up of pioneering flight testing for a hybrid helicopter concept combining an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. |
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