In 2021, Airbus Helicopters logged 419 gross orders (net: 414) showing solid signs of recovery from the 2020 market situation which was heavily impacted by the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. (2020 – 289 gross/ 268 net orders). The increase in orders for light helicopters, H125 and H130, reflects the recovery of the civil and parapublic market. The Company saw strong momentum from its home countries, with France ordering 40 H160s (civil and military versions), eight H225Ms, and two H145s, Spain ordering 36 H135s, and Germany procuring eight H145s for the Bavarian police force. Deliveries increased from 300 in 2020 to 338 in 2021, contributing to Airbus Helicopters’ preliminary 52 % share of the civil and parapublic market and confirming its position as market leader. In number of aircraft units, Airbus Helicopters recorded a net book to bill ratio above one.
“2021 was a year of major commitments for Airbus Helicopters. We committed to developing new products and services that fulfil our customers’ requirements such as launching the development of an innovative H160M for the French armed forces’ joint light helicopter programme and creating the new service package HCare Classics for customers that operate our legacy helicopters. We also delivered the first ever H160 to Japanese operator All Nippon Helicopter. It is our duty to innovate and to pioneer sustainable aerospace and to that end we have begun implementing the use of sustainable aviation fuel and pursued our urban air mobility journey with the unveiling of CityAirbus NextGen,” said Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO. “I’m proud of our teams that have worked hard to deliver all of these achievements. Their commitment to our Airbus values of teamwork, reliability, and integrity will enable us to continue working on securing the supply chain and to deliver on our continuous improvements to ease the operations of our customers. I especially value the trust that our customers place in our people, our products, and our services to help them perform their essential missions every day.”