Euro Watch
Who’s Buying in Europe?
BUSINESS AVIATION IS BOOMING
in the United States and Europe, but most of the money is being made in fixed wing. With the airport and airway congestion in Europe the worst in the world, could there be increased opportunities for helicopters?
The manufacturers need to promote helicopters more, and so do airports. Our industry might have thought that airports would welcome aircraft that don’t need runways, but prejudice is still strong.
For the latest types, the noise issue is one of identity rather than level. At HeliExpo a couple of years ago, Eurocopter held a press conference with an EC-120 running outside the room. No one in the audience realized that a spooled-up helicopter was there until the curtains were opened. I wonder whether Eurocopter has thought of repeating the exercise at airports around Europe?
The ideal next step in the development of quiet helicopters would be to prevent helicopters from sounding like helicopters. The Slapping sound caused in part by blade-votex interaction (BVI) is distinctive, and the populace living around airports often reacts badly to the start of rotary-wing operations.
A conference in London about a year ago brought the players together, but it will probably be several years before operations to and from taxiways become widespread.
Local people—politicians, business leaders and prominent figures in the community—could wield great influence to tip the scales against aviation, even in regions where increased capacity and infrastructure are warranted. Europe is densely populated compared with most other regions, and local communities are increasingly vocal about environmental issues. As it stands now, it’s very difficult for airports in Europe to get permission to add runways.
Rising expectations
Once the industry successfully demonstrates the efficacy of rotorcraft, however, the market could be substantial.
Forecast International/DMS has looked at the civil helicopter market over the next decade. It estimates that airframe manufacturers will ship nearly 9,500 rotorcraft worth US $18.7 billion. Euro-copter will lead the market with 22.8% of the revenue and 18.8% of deliveries.
Bell/Agusta Aerospace will account for 13.5% of all sales, says the study. European-owned MD Helicopters of Mesa, Arizona, is given nine percent of the revenue and 10% of the deliveries. MDH has done extremely well; many industry observers said at the time that the company wouldn’t survive.
Operations on the North Sea have been hit badly recently, mainly due to the low price of oil. Today, re-equipment must be well down the list of priorities for most operators. However, utilization is still high compared with other types of operations, and the aircraft will have to be replaced eventually.
As exploration goes farther offshore, tiltrotors will become more attractive. The present difficulties will delay the next wave of replacements, but the eventual outcome could be beneficial when
the operators get more advanced aircraft.
Cold War relics?
Military sales in Europe are less predictable because of the politics involved. Multinational programs have proved just as vulnerable as national ones. For example, E.H. Industries, which markets the EH-101 for AgustaWestland, has accused the Canadian government of skewing its maritime helicopter requirement so that the EH-101 cannot win.
The tri-engined EH-101 may well be the best aircraft for the job, but politicians in Ottawa would rather save face than save lives. The Canadian prime minister, Jean Chretien, called the EH-101 an overpriced Cold War relic and canceled an order for 43 placed by the previous Tory government, then paid nearly CAN$500 million in compensation to GKLN Westland.
Now that the EH-101 has been selected as the new Canadian Forces SAR helicopter, why not have it as the maritime bird, which would save millions of dollars due to fleet commonality?
Regardless, military helicopter sales have not suffered as much as other areas in the military spending drawdown because rotorcraft are force multipliers. With today’s requirement for rapid response anywhere in the world, they are vital.
Sales of attack helicopters have been building recently. The UK will soon start getting its complement of WAH-64 Apaches. Although the tactical role of attack helicopters has changed since the days of the Cold War, they still are highly effective on other deployments. It will be interesting to see which other European countries order them next and how they will be deployed.