ASG Asia Pacific Civil Helicopter Fleet Report Year End 2015 EN

ASIA PACIFIC REGION 

CIVIL HELICOPTERS 

Year End 2015

Beijing 

Penglai 

Seoul 

Chengdu 

Shanghai 

Shenzhen 

Hong Kong 

Bangkok 

Manila 

ABOUT ASIAN SKY GROUP 

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CONTRIBUTION 

Asian Sky Group would like to acknowledge the gracious contributions made by numerous organisations, including 

aircraft operators, OEMs, aviation authorities and JETNET LLC in providing data for this report. 

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INTRODUCTION 

Asian Sky Group (ASG) is pleased to present the 3rd edition of its Civil Helicopter 

Fleet Report. Originally just covering the Greater China region, this edition 

covers the Asia Pacific region for the second time and now also includes the 

important Asia Pacific markets of India, Australia and New Zealand. ASG’s Fleet 

Reports provide the most comprehensive coverage and breakdown of the civil 

helicopter fleet in the Asia Pacific region and have established themselves as an 

indispensable source of valued information. For copies of ASG’s various industry 

reports, please visit at www.asianskygroup.com. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND KEY FINDINGS…………………………………………………….4 

OFFSHORE ACTIVITY………...………………...............................……………………...........…8 

FLEET BREAKDOWN 

NORTHEAST ASIA 

GREATER CHINA……………………………………………..........................................12 

JAPAN……..............………………………………………………....................................27 

SOUTH KOREA .........………………………………………….....................................36 

CENTRAL ASIA 

INDIA.................…………………………………………..............................................46 

SOUTHEAST ASIA 

THAILAND..........…………………………………………..............................................55 

PHILIPPINES.................……………………….....…….............................................65 

MALAYSIA........................……........................…….............................................73 

INDONESIA..………………….............................……..........................................85 

MYANMAR..………………….............................……...........................................93 

LAOS..…….…………….............................…….....................................................94 

CAMBODIA……………….............................……...........................................94 

VIETNAM……………….............................……...........................................95 

BRUNEI……………….............................……...........................................96 

SINGAPORE……………….............................……...........................................96 

OCEANIA 

PAPUA NEW GUINEA...……....................................…….........................98 

AUSTRALIA....................……………..........……..................................................105 

NEW ZEALAND................……........................……...........................................114 

PRE-OWNED AIRCRAFT GLOBAL AVAILABILITY…………....…………...…...….............123 

AIRCRAFT MODELS POSITIONING……………...………………………………………………124 

SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE……..........…….......……….......…………………………......130 

ASIA PACIFIC REGION CIVIL HELICOPTER FLEET REPORT – YEAR END 2015 1

6 

6 

Mongolia 

782 762 

694 

576 

212 216 

South Korea +2% 

China +20% 

Japan -3% 

304 304 

26 

27 

Nepal +4% 

Bangladesh 

20 

20 

Laos 

6 

6 

Macau 

1 

1 

30 

30 

41 39 

Taiwan -5% 

Hong Kong 

111 112 

India 

Myanmar 

13 

13 

Cambodia -11% 

9 8 

27 

27 

Vietnam 

Thailand +1% 

Guam +4% 

28 29 

10 10 

Sri Lanka 

6 6 

Brunei 

Singapore 

1 1 

199 

185 105 114 

2,028 2,094 ASIA PACIFIC REGION CIVIL HELICOPTER FLEET REPORT – YEAR END 2015 

Indonesia +8% 

Papua New 

Guinea +9% 

Australia +3% 

Note (1): Fleet distribution is based on helicopters in service and their active base of operation. 

Note (2): 2014 data for Australia, India, New Zealand and other Oceania Islands has been determined by deducting from 2015 fleet totals new 

and pre-owned deliveries including any aircraft that are known to have left a country but remained in the Asia Pacific region. 

Note (3): Other Islands include Maldives, Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau and Solomon Islands. 

2

ASIA PACIFIC REGION – CIVIL HELICOPTERS 

2014 

5,758 

2015 

6,015 

+4.5% 

7 7 

Other Islands 3 

200 

186 

Philippines +8% 

169 165 

Malaysia -2% 

47 

47 

Vanuatu 

8 

10 

Fiji +25% 

French 

Polynesia 

7 7 

20 

20 

New Caledonia 

841 

788 

New Zealand +7% 


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

At the end of 2015, the Asia Pacific civil helicopter fleet numbered 6,015 helicopters in active service, an increase of 4.5% 

over year end 2014. 

As with 2014, the growth leader in percentage and number of units was China, with 20% growth and 118 helicopters added 

by year end 2015. This, however, represented a slowdown compared with 2014, when growth was 31% and 135 helicopters 

were added. Overall, of the 34 markets analyzed in this report, only a third experienced growth in 2015, with the other twothirds 

either contracting or remaining stagnant. 

The Asia Pacific region is currently dominated by 4 countries and 3 manufacturers: with 73% of the helicopter fleet based 

in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and China, and 78% of those units being either a Robinson, Airbus Helicopters or Bell 

Helicopter. 

In terms of Replacement Cost, the “big four” OEMs (Airbus Helicopters, Bell Helicopter, Sikorsky and AgustaWestland) make 

up nearly 90% of the market, with Airbus Helicopters leading at 46% and the other three combining for 42%. 

Australia represents the largest market overall and is the largest market for Robinson and Bell Helicopter. In terms of unit 

numbers, New Zealand is next, and is the largest market for MD Helicopters. These are followed by Japan, which is the 

largest market for AgustaWestland and Airbus Helicopters, and finally China, the fastest growing market overall and the 

largest for Sikorsky. 

In terms of units, approximately 45% of the Asia Pacific fleet operates in a multi-mission role, followed by corporate or 

private missions at 28%, and offshore operations at 6%; though in terms of Replacement Cost, offshore operations make 

up approximately 20% of the market. 

KEY FINDINGS 

Offshore Activity: The downturn in oil prices significantly impacted the Asia Pacific region in 2015. In previous years, 

offshore oil and gas service providers were one of the main growth drivers for the region, however in 2015 there was limited 

to zero growth, and overall utilisation of the existing offshore fleet came down significantly, with nearly a third of the existing 

fleet likely idle or preparing for another mission role at year end. 

Greater China: Growth slowed in 2015 due a number of factors including the overall economic environment, expected 

currency depreciation, the downturn in oil and gas activity, negative sentiment resulting from certain government actions, 

and airspace taking longer to open up than previously anticipated. China will continue to see growth in the number of 

helicopters delivered during 2016 however, but at a much more moderate pace compared to prior years. 

Japan: The Japanese fleet contracted 3% in 2015, with only Sikorsky and AgustaWestland showing increases. This occurred 

due to greater numbers of older piston, single engine and medium size helicopters either being retired or replaced by fewer 

but newer helicopter models like the S-76D and AW139. The net decrease was 20 helicopters, though the overall market 

size grew in terms of Replacement Cost. 

South Korea: Despite its advanced aviation industry, there has been only moderate growth in the Korean fleet over the past 

few years, with 2015 being no exception at just 2%. The largest portion of the fleet is used in a multi-mission role, with 50% 

used in firefighting operations and being primarily Kamov and Mil helicopters. 

India: India saw limited growth in 2015 compared to expectations, but new regulations from the DGAC aimed specifically at 

the helicopter market could spur growth in 2016. The Indian helicopter market is also sensitive to the oil and gas business, 

which will continue to impact fleet growth and utilisation. 

Thailand: The net increase of only 1 helicopter in 2015 was predominantly the result of importation restrictions on helicopters 

older than 5 years, while the oil and gas market and political factors also contributed to slower growth. 

Philippines: Growth in 2015 was a healthy 8% with 14 net helicopters added, which mostly consisted of single and piston 

categories operated by individuals or corporations. Elections in May 2016 will play a significant factor in the country’s 

helicopter market, as will overall economic conditions. 

4 

ASIA PACIFIC REGION CIVIL HELICOPTER FLEET REPORT – YEAR END 2015

Malaysia: The fleet contracted slightly in 2015, which was expected given that nearly a third of the total fleet is configured 

for offshore oil and gas support. Malaysian offshore operators faced significant challenges during the later part 2015, and 

will likely attempt to move into other missions or other countries in 2016. 

Indonesia: Growth in 2015 was almost 8% with 14 net helicopters added to the fleet. However, new regulations restricting 

in-service helicopters to under 30 years of age and restricting new imported helicopters to under 5 years of age, combined 

with the downturn in offshore oil and gas, may cause growth in the fleet to stagnate in 2016. 

Australia: The fleet grew at just a modest 3% in 2015, but is not expected to grow further in 2016 due to the negative impact 

of a significantly weakened Australian dollar, the rapid decrease in mineral exports and the downturn in oil and gas prices. 

The country has a staggering 1,017 operators, including many individuals and corporations, with an average of 2 helicopters 

per operator (one of which on average is a Robinson), and many of them are very sensitive to changes in the economic 

conditions and currency movements. 

New Zealand: Growth was a healthy 7% in 2015, with a net 53 helicopters added to the market. Pre-owned helicopters 

made up 81% of the additions which is characteristic of the New Zealand market. New Zealand has the largest fleet of MD 

helicopters in Asia Pacific, most of which are utilised for multi-mission operations. 

Papua New Guinea: The fleet grew 9% in 2015. A typical PNG helicopter can be characterised as pre-owned, aging, and a 

single-engine turbine from either Bell Helicopter or Airbus Helicopters, and engaged in multi-mission applications. However 

this profile may begin to change in 2016, with several new helicopters already set to deliver. 

Asia Pacific Fleet Breakdown by Size & Replacement Cost 

Total Fleet 

1,882 

Robinson 

572 

1,599 Airbus Helicopters 

9,424 

1,195 Bell Helicopter 

3,578 

303 AgustaWestland 

2,412 

248 MD 

369 

206 Sikorsky 

2,762 

182 Schweizer 

66 

90 Amateur-Built Aircraft 19 

67 Enstrom 

38 

67 Kamov 

348 

62 Mil 

501 

29 Guimbal 

12 

23 HAL 

223 

15 

10 

7 

4 

3 

2 

Avicopter 

Harbin 

Boeing Rotocraft 

Brantly 

Kaman 

KAI 

26 

110 

124 

1 

9 

34 

21 

Others 2 

Total Fleet 6,015 $20,647M 

Replacement Cost (USD) 

Note (1): Replacement Cost is used to determine the overall dollar value of the civil helicopter fleet. The cost values are based on 2015 OEM list prices 

for new aircraft models, and 2015 Conklin & de Decker pre-owned prices for equivalent models with the same mission configuration. 

In some cases, an estimate was used, particularly with regard to aircraft models no longer in production. 

Note (2): Others include Aérospatiale Gazelle, Fairchild Hiller, Hiller Aircraft and VTOL. 

ASIA PACIFIC REGION CIVIL HELICOPTER FLEET REPORT – YEAR END 2015 5 

19

Fleet Breakdown by OEM & Country 

6,015 in Total 

2,094 

100+44+38+35+16+11+10+10+8+6+6 

841 

762 

694 

304 

216 

200 199 165 

114 

112 

47 

39 

31 

Australia 

New 

Zealand 

Japan 

China 

India 

South Korea 

Philippines 

Indonesia 

Malaysia 

Papua 

New Guinea 

Thailand 

Vanuatu 

Taiwan 

Hong Kong & 

Macau 

AgustaWestland 48 9 87 35 38 15 14 7 33 8 6 

Airbus Helicopters 298 222 340 151 120 55 84 72 83 34 34 3 13 9 

Amateur-Built 90 

Aircraft 

Avicopter 15 

Bell Helicopter 447 100 130 91 88 44 43 74 19 70 52 19 

Boeing Rotocraft 4 3 

Enstrom 18 2 20 2 3 2 18 

Guimbal 4 21 2 

HAL 21 

Harbin 10 

Hiller Aircraft 7 7 1 

Kamov 1 12 51 3 

MD 27 105 15 4 4 8 9 4 40 5 

Mil 1 11 5 9 3 4 5 

Robinson 1,061 308 149 233 17 4 45 2 15 5 4 2 11 

Schweizer 56 59 4 56 4 2 

Sikorsky 35 4 31 52 5 24 1 16 11 1 13 2 

Others 2 3 5 3 2 2 

Total 2,094 841 762 694 304 216 200 199 165 114 112 47 39 31 

% of Total 34% 14% 13% 12% 5% 4% 3% 3% 3% 2% 2% 1% 1% 1% 

Note (1): Please refer to Page 129 for Multi-Mission descriptions. 

Note (2): Others include Aérospatiale Gazelle, KAI, Kaman and VTOL. 

6 


Fleet Breakdown by Mission 

45+16+12+6+6+5+4+3+3+G 

Guam 

Vietnam 

Nepal 

Bangladesh 

New 

Caledonia 

Myanmar 

Fiji 

Sri Lanka 

Cambodia 

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1 

EMS 190 (3%) 

Charter 210 (3%) 

SAR 262 (4%) 

Law Enforcement 294 (5%) 

Offshore 

Operations 356 (6%) 

Flight Training 374 (6%) 

Private 704 (12%) 

Multi-Mission 1 2,684 (45%) 

Corporate 941 (16%) 

29 27 27 20 20 13 10 10 8 7 6 6 6 1 7 

French 

Polynesia 

Laos 

Brunei 

Mongolia 

Singapore 

Other 

Islands 

Total 

% of 

Total 

1 2 303 5% 

15 18 2 8 5 7 2 8 6 5 2 1 2 1,599 27% 

90 1% 

15 - 

1 3 8 2 1 2 1 1,195 20% 

7 - 

1 1 67 1% 

2 29 - 

2 23 - 

10 - 

15 - 

67 1% 

27 248 4% 

10 5 4 1 4 62 1% 

1 10 9 2 2 1 1 1,882 31% 

1 182 3% 

7 4 206 3% 

15 - 

29 27 27 20 20 13 10 10 8 7 6 6 6 1 7 6,015 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 


OFFSHORE ACTIVITY 

At year-end 2015, helicopters used for offshore oil and gas support in the Asia Pacific region numbered 356 out of a total of 

6,015 (unchanged from 2014), and making up 6% of total fleet by numbers but 20% in terms of Replacement Cost. When 

excluding the Oceania fleet of nearly 3,000, the number of offshore-configured helicopters represent more than 10% of the 

total Asia Pacific fleet. In Southeast Asia alone, the offshore-configured fleet represents over 15% of the fleet by numbers 

and 40% by Replacement Cost. 

This report provides a statistical snapshot of the current offshore support helicopter fleet, however, and does not necessarily 

capture the true difficulties currently faced by operators, OEMs, leasing companies, investors, service providers and the oil 

and gas producers themselves. 

As with other regions around the world, the global downturn in the oil and gas industry is also impacting the Asia Pacific region 

significantly. Between 2012 and 2014 one of the main growth drivers for the Asia Pacific fleet was helicopter deliveries to 

offshore oil and gas service providers and operators. However towards the end of 2015, OGP helicopter utilisation decreased 

significantly, a trend that will impact growth severely in the short term. 

Capital spending on exploration and production in Asia Pacific is expected to be down 20% in 2016, following an already 

reduced spending rate in 2015. This reduction reflects lower capital expenditures from several projects reaching completion 

in 2015, while anticipated new projects are deferred across the region and primarily in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, India, 

China and Australia. 

Major oil and gas producers in Asia Pacific have been gradually downsizing their operations, cancelling new exploration 

and drilling plans, in some extreme cases suspending or shutting down existing projects all together, and reducing their 

workforces considerably. 

Oil and gas drilling rig utilisation worldwide is down to 70% compared to a 95% several years ago, with the Asia Pacific 

offshore rig market reflecting similar trends. This triggers serious concerns across the helicopter industry with stakeholders 

now trying to predict how deep this decline will be and how it will impact their clients, contracts and future demand for 

services. 

Offshore helicopter operators have been severely impacted by this downturn as many of the helicopters ordered over the 

last year or two – sometimes speculatively – were expected to support the industry’s continued growth and development. 

Utilisation levels throughout the Asia Pacific region in 2015 varied significantly; while in some protected countries, offshore 

activity was lightly affected, in other large oil and gas producing countries there was a severe decline, with even the more 

protected and resilient markets now expected to show increasing signs of stress in 2016. 

It is important to note that the number of aircraft in the fleet listed in this report does not reflect actual offshore activity, as 

the true number of helicopters servicing contracts today is considerably lower in many of the countries covered in this report. 

In certain cases over a third of the offshore fleet is hangared and not flying, or have been redirected toward other missions. 

The number of heavy and medium helicopters on the ground has increased significantly this year as operators have been 

forced to adjust to the new market conditions and realities. Just a few years ago, operators were not only looking to replace 

their ageing helicopters, but also were seeking to transit longer distances, requiring more resilient helicopters with greater 

endurance and payload from the offshore industry. This was before oil prices plummeted to where they were at year-end 

2015. 

Operator difficulties have been compounded by the global nature of the down turn and the oversupply of helicopters in most 

markets, limiting their opportunities to sell aircraft or find work for these helicopters in other markets. Helicopter values have 

consequently come under tremendous pressure. 

In the Asia Pacific market, the changing nature of helicopter age regulations is also impacting demand. In countries with 

strict age related importation restrictions such as China, Thailand, Myanmar and recently Indonesia, older aircraft that are 

already in-country may become more valuable locally and may find continued employment. While in countries where oil 

companies have imposed strict age limits on the helicopters they are willing to contract, such as India, certain pre-owned 

helicopters become less appealing locally once they become too old for offshore oil and gas operations. 

8 



Much like some of the large energy companies capable of keeping production levels even if oil prices continue to go further 

down, helicopter operators who are either large enough or involved in other activities might have the strength to wait-out or 

overcome the downturn. But smaller operators who have been relying solely on oil and gas contracts are facing more difficult 

times and are not positioned as well as others to prosper in a low oil price environment. 

As a response to these difficulties, some Asia Pacific offshore operators are gravitating towards other missions such as EMS, 

SAR, firefighting and even corporate transport, while others have no choice but to wait for oil and gas prices to rebound. 

There are some niche applications across non-traditional markets that may be undertaken by helicopters configured for 

offshore transport, but at a certain cost and risk, and operators are as a result forced to take a more cautious approach. 

Despite the slump in spending and operations, several projects in the region are still set to see investments and many 

existing projects will at least continue production for the foreseeable future. This will enable the operators relying on those 

contracts to remain active throughout the downturn. 

These are challenging times no doubt, and there are likely to be more difficult times ahead in 2016. While it is too early 

to predict any kind of meaningful recovery, we expect this downturn to eventually give way to recovery, and ultimately the 

oversupply in the market should work its way through the system and toward a more balanced state. From a historical 

perspective, and while downside risks remain, Asian Sky Group expects the demand for energy and natural resources will 

continue to grow on a global basis over time. Increasing global demand requires increasing global production, and when an 

eventual recovery does take place, we expect the Asia Pacific region to continue its vital role in that production. 

70 

68 

2014 

356 


356 

India 

48 47 

Thailand 

Malaysia 

21 21 

China 

50 47 

1 

South Korea 2 3 

26 31 

9 9 

Myanmar 

16 15 

Vietnam 

5 5 

Philippines 

5 5 

Brunei 

1 

Japan 

Indonesia 

6 

6 

Papua New Guinea 

80 81 

Australia 

17 17 

New Zealand 



Asia Pacific Offshore Fleets – Breakdown by Operator (2 or more helicopters) 

294 in Total 

Citic Offshore Helicopter 

Bristow Helicopters Australia 

Weststar Aviation 

China Southern Helicopters 

22 

26 

28 

37 

Lloyd Helicopters 

Pawan Hans Helicopters 

18 

18 

MHS Aviation 

Vietnam Helicopter 

15 

16 

Global Vectra Helicorp 

Travira Air 

13 

13 

HNZ Global 

Pelita Air Service 

Thai Aviation Services 

10 

10 

10 

CHC Helicopters (Australia) 

China Eastern GA 

Heligo Charters 

8 

9 

9 

Awan Inspirasi 

Bond Helicopters Australia 

7 

7 

Esso Australia Resources 

Hevilift 

SFS Aviation 

6 

6 

6 

Brunei Shell Petroleum 

Heli-Union 

INAEC Aviation 

Pacific Helicopters 

United Offshore Aviation 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

Heli Korea 

Helicopter Resources 

McDermott Aviation 

United Helicharters 

3 

3 

3 

3 

FI Helicopters 

Gulf Helicopters 

Heli Niugini 

Jayrow Helicopters 

Reliance Industries 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

10 



NORTHEAST ASIA 

GREATER CHINA 

As seen in previous years, the Greater China civil helicopter fleet continued to grow strongly in 2015, leading the Asia Pacific 

region. Greater China grew at 17.9% in 2015, increasing from 648 helicopters in total to 764. All of this growth occurred in 

the China market itself as Taiwan contracted and Hong Kong remained flat. 

694 

441 

576 

2013 

2014 


40 41 39 30 31 31 

China 

Taiwan Hong Kong & Macau 

Note: 2014 fleet growth figures in Greater China are based on Asian Sky Group’s adjusted numbers for 2013 

Growth in 2015 was slower however dropping from 2014’s 26.8%. Growth is being impacted by a number of major factors 

– some unique to China, and some the same world over. China’s economic growth is at its lowest in 25 years with its big 

state-owned helicopter operators being significantly impacted by the oil and gas crisis around the world. Buying sentiment 

is also being negatively impacted by government policy and the regulatory environment and airspace are taking longer to 

relax, discouraging new entrants. 

Despite the drawbacks, the advantage the China market has is its ability to absorb these specific shocks due to the very 

diverse nature of the missions the fleet is performing. For instance, offshore operations only represent 9% of the fleet, 

corporate and private just 3%, whereas multi-mission represents 58%. Flight Training, SAR and Law Enforcement are all 

growing year to year. Consequently, Asian Sky Group expects growth to continue in 2016, though similar to 2015, the growth 

is expected to be moderated and in the area of 10%, with the prospect of even dipping into the single-digit category. 

Almost 70% of the Greater China fleet is represented by 3 manufacturers: Robinson 32%, Airbus Helicopters 23% and Bell 

Helicopter 14%, which overall is in line with the Asia Pacific region as a whole. The Robinson fleet in Greater China grew 

the most in 2015 (29%), followed by Sikorsky (26%), and then Airbus Helicopters (17%). By size category, the single-engine 

category grew the highest at 25%, followed by pistons at 19%. Given all of these indicators, it is not too surprising then to 

find the fleet of helicopters engaged in multi-mission applications grew the highest at 24%. Most other missions grew at 

only around 10%. Looking at turbine helicopters only, the most popular types in Greater China are the AS350, followed by 

the Bell 206/407 and then the Sikorsky S-76 family. 

Examining the net fleet additions in 2015, the Greater China market added 116 new helicopters and 21 pre-owned 

helicopters, but the market also saw 26 helicopters leave this region. It is significant to note the slow emergence of a preowned 

market, representing just 15% of the additions in 2015. By model type, the biggest net gainers were the R44, AS350 

and the Bell 407, with decreases, also coming from Bell 206s, R22s and Schweizer 300s for instance. 

The two biggest operators are China National Police (CNP) and CITIC Offshore Helicopters (COHC) – both with a fleet of 57 

helicopters, representing 23% of the total turbine fleet. Whereas CNP has a very diverse fleet from across the spectrum of 

helicopter manufacturers, COHC is predominately an Airbus Helicopters operator focused on medium to heavy helicopters 

– AS332s, EC155s, EC225s, Kamov KA-32s and the Sikorsky S-92s. 

12 


GREATER CHINA 

764 in Total 

Heilongjiang 

36 

Xinjiang 

8 

Qinghai 

2 

Inner Mongolia 

5 

Gansu 

2 

Sichuan 

51 

Yunnan 

19 

Shaanxi 

13 

Chongqing 

22 

Guizhou 

5 

Guangxi 

9 

Hubei 

31 

Hunan 

12 

Hainan 

16 

Beijing 

99 

Hebei 

21 

Shanxi 

2 

Henan 

42 

Tianjin 

17 

Shandong 

32 

Liaoning 

9 

Jiangsu 

24 

Anhui 

6 

Jiangxi 

2 Fujian 

7 

Guangdong 

132 

Macau 

1 

Hong Kong 

30 

Jilin 

3 

Shanghai 

51 

Zhejiang 

16 

Taiwan 

39 

Fleet Growth 

900 

Civil Helicopters in Greater China 

840 

800 

700 

600 

500 

400 

300 

200 

260 

+16.2% 

302 

+18.2% 

357 

+17.4% 

419 

+22.0% 

511 

+26.8% 

648 

+17.9% 

764 

+10.0% 

100 

0 

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 EST 

Note: 2014 fleet growth figures in Greater China are based on Asian Sky Group’s adjusted and updated 2013 numbers. 


14

Net Fleet Growth by OEM 

173 

148 

131 

3641 

32 

105 

110 

89 

2 

1115 3 3 3 2 2 2 7 1420 2 2 

1010 10 2 7 12 6 7 

9 

161111 

122 

191 

246 

50 

5856 

GREATER CHINA 

2013 (511) 

2014 (648) 

2015 (764) 

3943 

54 

AgustaWestland 

Airbus Helicopters 

Avicopter 

Bell Helicopter 


Brantly 

Enstrom 

Guimbal 

Harbin 

Kamov 

MD 

Mil 

Robinson 

Schweizer 

Sikorsky 

Net Fleet Growth by Mission 

446 

254 

360 

2013 (511) 

2014 (648) 


73 79 73 

51 

70 68 

48 50 57 45 46 53 

18 23 29 

7 12 14 10 8 11 5 6 7 

Multi-Mission 

Flight Training 

Offshore Operations 

Law Enforcement 

SAR 

Charter 

Corporate 

Private 

EMS 

Net Fleet Growth by Size Category 

173 

252 

301 

126 

175 

219 

2013 (511) 

2014 (648) 


34 42 40 131131 150 47 48 54 

Piston 

Single 

Light Twin 

Medium 

Heavy 


GREATER CHINA 

Breakdown by Size Category 

764 in Total 

Breakdown by Mission 

764 in Total 

Heavy 54 (7%) 

Medium 150 (20%) 

Turbine 

61% 

Light Twin 40 (5%) 

Piston 301 (39%) 

58+10+10+7+7+4+2+1+1+G 

Charter 29 (4%) Corporate 14 (2%) 

SAR 53 (7%) 

Private 11 (1%) 

Law 

Enforcement 

57 (8%) 

Offshore 

Operations 

68 (9%) 

Flight 

Training 

79 (10%) 

Multi-Mission 

58% 

EMS 7 (1%) 

Single 219 (29%) 

Multi-Mission 446 (58%) 

Breakdown by OEM 

Fleet Size 


Mil 11 (2%) Harbin 10 (1%) 

Kamov 12 (2%) 

MD 9 (1%) Schweizer (1%) 

Avicopter (1%) 

Avicopter 15 (2%) Others 7 (1%) 

Enstrom 20 (3%) 

Kamov (2%) 

Robinson (3%) 

Harbin (3%) 

MD (1%) 

Others (2%) 

AugustaWestland 

41 (5%) 

Robisnon 

246 (32%) 

Mil (4%) 


(41%) 

Sikorsky 

54 (7%) 

Schweizer 

56 (7%) 


110 (14%) 

Airbus 

Helicopters 

173 (23%) 

Agusta 

Westland 

(9%) 

764 $3,102M 

Bell 

Helicopter 

(9%) 

Sikorsky 

(24%) 

Note: The market share of Enstrom’s replacement cost is less than 1%. 

16 


G+5+5+8+32 

OEM Market share – Mainland China 

GREATER CHINA 

Mil 11 (2%) Harbin 10 (1%) 

Kamov 12 (2%) 

Others 8 (1%) 

Avicopter 15 (2%) 


AgustaWestland 35 (5%) 

Sikorsky 52 (7%) 

Robinson 233 (34%) 

Schweizer 56 (8%) 

694 

Bell Helicopter 91 (13%) 

Airbus Helicopters 151 (22%) 

OEM Market Share – Hong Kong and Macau 

MD 5 (16%) 

AugustaWestland 6 (19%) 

36+29+19+16+G 

31 



OEM Market Share – Taiwan 



Boeing Rotocraft 3 (8%) 


50+ 

39 



GREATER CHINA 

Breakdown by Helicopter Model – Turbine Only 

463 in Total 


41 (9%) 

AW139 

AW109 

AW119 

SW-4 

19+14+6+2+0+60+23+21+20+15+15+6+5+4+3+1+0+13+1+1+0+40+39+16+11+3+1+0+3+0+15+0+7+3+0+12+0+4+2+2+1+0+8+3+0+9+0+1+0+17+14+7+6+5+2+1 


173 (37%) 



110 (24%) 



Harbin 10 (2%) 

Kamov 12 (3%) 

MD 9 (2%) 

Mil 11 (2%) 


Schweizer 1 


AS350 

EC155 

EC135 

EC120 

AS365 

EC225 

AS332L1 

EC130 

AS332L2 

BK117 

AS332L 

AC311 

AC312 

AC301 

Bell 206 

Bell 407 

Bell 205 

Bell 429 

Bell 212 

Bell 427 

BV234 

EN480 

Z-9 

Z-11 

KA-32 

MD 900 

MD 520 

MD 500 

MD 600 

Mi-8 

Mi-26 

R66 

S-333 

S-76C++ 

S-92 

S-76D 

S-76C+ 

S-76A 

S-76B 

S-76A++ 

2 

6 

6 

5 

4 

3 

1 

1 

1 

1 

2 

2 

1 

1 

2 

1 

3 

3 

3 

3 

4 

7 

9 

6 

5 

8 

9 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

15 

14 

15 

16 

17 

19 

23 

21 

20 

40 

39 

60 

18 


Breakdown by Operator 

Top 62 – Out of 178 Operators (3 or more helicopters) 

China National Police 

57+57+31+22+22+21+21+20+17+14+14+14+13+12+11+10+10+10+9+9+8+8+7+7+7+7+7+6+6+5+5+5+5+5+5+5+5+5+5+ 

5 

Citic offshore Helicopter 

Taiwan NASC 

China Flying Dragon 

China Southern Helicopters 

Beijing Reignwood GA 

State Grid 

Ministry of Transport 

Sichuan Xilin Fengteng 

China Eastern GA 

Guangzhou Suilian Helicopter 

Hubei Tongcheng GA 

Beijing Capital Helicopter 

Hainan Sanya Yalong GA 

Tianjin Top GA 

Civil Aviation Academy 

Shanghai Kingwing 

Tuofeng GA 

Chongqing GA 

Henan Yongxiang GA 

Henan Guan Chen GA 

Shanghai Heli 

Anyang Aero 

Beijing Tian Xin Ai GA 

Government Flying Service 

Guangdong Bai Yun GA 

Shanghai Skyway 

Beidahuang GA 

Tangshan Lianwang 

GaoXiang Shandong GA 

Hong Kong Aviation Club 

Hubei Yinyan GA 

Qingdao Helicopter 

Shandong GA 

Sky Shuttle Helicopters 

Wuhan Helicopter 

Yunnan FengXiang 

Zhejiang Huayi GA 

Zhongshan Eagle GA 

6 

6 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

8 

8 

9 

9 

10 

14 

14 

14 

13 

12 

11 

10 

10 

17 

21 

22 

22 

21 

20 

31 

4+4+4+4+4+4+4+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3 

Hainan Aviation Academy 

Heliservices 

Ju Xiang GA 

NUAA Academy 

Qiqihar KunFeng GA 

Ruoer GA 

Shandong Qixiang 

Baiyangdian General Aviation 

Chongqing Shenlong GAC 

Elm GA 

Emerald Pacific Airlines 

Guangxi UUG 

Hebei Xiang Hua GA 

Henan Da Di 

Huayu GA 

Hubei Tuncang GA 

Hunan Hengyang GA 

Hunan Xiangwei GA 

Sichuan Luozhengtong GA 

Sichuan Xihua GA 

Tianjin Tianhang 

Xinjiang Kaiyuan GA 

Yunnan Hexie 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

4 

4 

4 

4 

4 

4 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

4 

GREATER CHINA 

57 

57 


GREATER CHINA 

Top Operator Fleets by Model – Greater China 

China National 

Police 

Citic Offshore 


China Flying 

Dragon 

China Southern 


Beijing 

Reignwood GA 

State Grid 

Ministry of 

Transport 

Sichuan Xilin 

Fengteng 

China 

Eastern GA 

Guangzhou 

Sulian Helicopter 

57+57+31+22+22+21+21+18+17+14+14 

57 57 

31 

22 22 21 21 20 17 14 14 14 

Taiwan NASC 

Hubei 

Tongcheng GA 


Airbus 


Avicopter 

Bell 


Total 

AW109 7 2 9 

AW119 2 2 

AW139 7 1 8 

AS350 3 7 7 1 7 25 

EC155 3 15 18 

EC225 1 9 1 4 15 

EC135 6 1 1 8 

AS332L 1 1 

AS332L1 6 6 

AS332L2 1 1 

AS365 4 10 1 15 

EC120 2 1 1 1 5 

AC301 1 1 

AC311 4 4 

AC312 1 1 

Bell 205 16 16 

Bell 206 3 1 6 3 13 

Bell 212 1 2 3 

Bell 407 9 4 1 14 

Bell 429 3 2 5 

Boeing Rotocraft BV234 3 3 

Enstrom EN480 3 3 

Harbin 

Z-11 2 1 3 

Z-9 3 2 2 7 

Kamov KA-32 2 8 10 

Mil Mi-26 2 2 

R22 3 2 4 9 

Robinson R44 6 5 5 4 3 23 

R66 1 2 3 

Schweizer S-300 1 8 7 3 2 4 25 

S-76A 4 1 5 

S-76A++ 1 1 

S-76B 2 2 

Sikorsky S-76C+ 2 4 6 

S-76C++ 7 4 6 17 

S-76D 8 8 

S-92 3 9 1 13 

Total 57 57 31 22 22 21 21 20 17 14 14 14 310 

20 


Fleet Breakdown by Mission & OEM – Greater China 

446 

Multi-Mission 


Offshore 

Operations 


SAR 

Charter 

Coroporate 

Private100+27+25+23+21+16+13+12+11 

AgustaWestland 11 2 16 11 1 41 

Airbus Helicopters 95 1 31 12 23 4 2 5 173 

Avicopter 9 6 15 

Bell Helicopter 75 4 4 12 10 2 3 110 

Boeing Rotocraft 1 2 3 

Brantly 2 2 

Enstrom 13 4 3 20 

Guimbal 2 2 

Harbin 6 1 3 10 

Kamov 10 2 12 

MD 7 1 1 9 

Mil 11 11 

Robinson 170 47 10 3 8 8 246 

Schweizer 34 20 1 1 56 

Sikorsky 2 34 16 2 54 

Total 446 79 68 57 53 29 14 11 7 764 

Total Fleet Age Distribution 

764 in Total 

120 

79 68 57 53 29 14 11 7 

EMS 

Total 

GREATER CHINA 

100 

80 

60 

40 

20 

0 

1970 

1971 

1972 

1973 

1974 

1975 

1976 

1977 

1978 

1979 

1980 

1981 

1982 

1983 

1984 

1985 

1986 

1987 

1988 

1989 

1990 

1991 

1992 

1993 

1994 

1995 

1996 

1997 

1998 

1999 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 


Year of Manufacture 


Si Rui, General Manager 

Department of Strategic Planning 

Eastern General Aviation (EGAC), a subsidiary of China Eastern 

Airlines was developed from China General Aviation, which in 

turn was developed from the No. 1 Civil Aviation Flying Corps, 

established in 1952. The company’s mission is to develop 

China’s general aviation business. 

Since 1998, EGAC’s scale and footprint has changed after a 

series of reforms and adjustments in the market. Currently, the 

company is focused on offshore oil and gas exploration, and 

an anticipated expansion of its aircraft management business. 

Although the company offers some land-based services, EGAC 

focuses mainly on offshore operations, located mostly in the 

Bohai Sea area, with bases in Tianjin and Shandong. With 

more than thirty years of experience, the company is confident 

that it fully meets its customer’s requirements, especially 

with its offshore oil & gas services and risk management 

capabilities. 

“Although the Bohai Sea area has relatively low oil and gas 

production compared to the South China Sea, our operational 

and safety management control capabilities are on par with 

international operation standards,” said Si Rui, EGAC’s General 

Manager, Department of Strategic Planning. “Our services 

include aerial mapping, security patrol and protection of oil 

and gas pipelines for energy companies; emergency rescue, 

aerial forest fire protection, aviation touring, and aircraft 

management.” 

For offshore oil and gas services, EGAC’s major competitors 

are Zhuhai Helicopter Company and COHC (CITIC Offshore 

Helicopter Co., Ltd.). While safety is fundamental, advanced 

safety concepts and a culture of safety management are equally 

important. Since the late 1990’s, EGAC has been cooperating 

with international oil and gas suppliers, and integrating their 

systems knowledge and concepts into its own safety culture. 

“Zhuhai Helicopter and COHC compete with each other, and 

each has subsequently carved out its own market share in the 

South China Sea. If EGAC were to enter the fray, it would mean 

greater stress and risks. From the viewpoint of the customers, 

the goal is to achieve a competitive balance in offshore oil 

and gas supplies. Alternately, customers do not want to see 

a monopoly in this market so, while keeping a healthy level of 

sufficient competition, the three companies pursue excellence 

in our respective competitive advantages. The present 

competitive environment enables us to avoid price wars. 

Compared with Zhuhai Helicopter and COHC, we do not have an 

advantage in scale, but we can continue to pursue excellence 

in our own market segments,” says Si. 

When asked about their heritage and operational culture, Si 

remarked that in 1999 EGAC recruited experienced foreign 

captains, who trained their pilots as they conducted operations. 

It was during this period that they were introduced to an 

advanced concept of flight safety and standards. 

“Since 2000, in order to standardize operations, we ensured 

that each pilot receives overseas simulator training twice a year. 

Now that there is a simulator training center in Zhuhai, most of 

our pilots are trained domestically. Because some aircraft types 

are still not available in China, a small number of our pilots are 

still trained overseas,” said Si, who continued, “Since 2010, 

we adopted the EVXP system, an enhanced health and usage 

monitoring system, to improve our safety management. EVXP 

indicates whether the operations made by the pilots during a 

flight comply with standard procedures. Additionally, we have 

22 


adopted the HUMS system for our helicopters, another 

primary measure for us to monitor flight quality. In 

2012, we received Safety Management System (SMS) 

certification, a first for any general aviation company 

in China.” 

The journey to developing China’s General Aviation 

industry is no easy route. Si noted that EGAC has 

faced stressful times. “The key challenges we are 

facing include reduced petroleum revenue and the 

contradiction in available human resources, such 

as pilot and maintenance personnel. In terms 

of numbers, we have a relatively large number of 

maintenance personnel, but the portion of high-tech 

trained staff is still relatively low. Another issue is the 

need to renew the fleet with new aircraft. All of these 

issues have some impact on us,” noted Si. 

aviation market, EGAC and other players are keeping 

a keen eye on easing regulations and investment 

opportunities. With enough patience and dedication 

from the players, China’s general aviation is set to 

rival that of other developed countries soon - perhaps 

just over the horizon. 

In addressing these challenges, expansion is not 

seen as a competitive advantage to pursue. “We will 

wait for an upturn in the market, while continuing 

to pursue excellence in all we do. Further, during 

this down period, we will increase our investment in 

training to resolve the issues in our human resource 

structure. Finally, we aim to become an integrated 

service provider with advanced technology, so we 

are enhancing our management and flight training 

business, and initiating market-oriented reforms for 

our maintenance personnel,” said Si. 

EGAC has developed their thirteenth five year plan. In 

the next five years, it has to replace older aircraft in 

their fleet with new ones, and enlarged the fleet from 

13 to 16 aircraft. Additionally, the company aims to 

further expand their leasing business. “We estimate 

that, five years from now, the total quantity of our fleet, 

including aircraft we acquire, lease, and manage, will 

reach a total of twenty-four or -five. On a side note, I 

expect the petroleum business to continue to linger 

at a low point in 2016. So we’ll have to watch out for 

that,” Si noted. 

With China on the forefront of a booming general 


GREATER CHINA 

New Deliveries 

38+29+14+9+5+5+G 

45+19+11+8+6+4+2+3+2+G 

Kamov 3 (2%) Schweizer 2 (2%) 






+121 



Pre-owned Additions 

Kamov 2 (9%) 

MD 3 (14%) 




+21 


31+23+19+19+4+4+G 

-26 

Schweizer 5 (19%) Bell Helicopter 8 (31%) 

Deductions 

MD 1 (4%) 




24 


GREATER CHINA 

Additions & Deductions Per Model 

116 in total 

Agusta 

Westland 

+5 

AW139 

AW119 

3 

2 

AS350 

-1 

18 

3 

EC225 

3 

EC120 

3 

Airbus 


+25 

AS365 

EC135 

EC155 

EC130 

1 

1 

1 

1 

AS355 

-1 

BO105 

-2 

SA315 

-2 

Avicopter 

+4 

AC311 

3 

1 

Sikorsky Schweizer Robinson 

MD 

Kamov Enstrom Bell Helicopter 

+11 -2 +55 +2 

+5 +6 +5 

Bell 407 

Bell 429 

Bell 206 


KA-32 

MD 520 

MD 500 

MD 900 

R44 

R22 

R66 

S-300 

S-76D 

S-92 

-5 

-3 

-1 

-1 

-3 

-2 

-5 

1 

7 

3 2 

1 

1 

1 

3 1 

2 1 

8 

3 

12 

16 

35 

1 

Deductions (-26) 

New Deliveries (+121) 

Pre-owned (+21) 

4 


26 


JAPAN 

Japan has the 3rd largest helicopter fleet in the Asia Pacific region – 762 in total. The country’s geographic 

characteristics make it a natural place for helicopter operations. The archipelago comprises four main islands and 

over 2,000 underlying islands across the country’s territory and the Japan Sea. 

Japan also has the largest fleet of AgustaWestland and Airbus Helicopters in the Asia Pacific region: Japan’s fleet 

represents 29% of the total Asia Pacific AgustaWestland fleet and 21% of the total Asia Pacific Airbus Helicopters 

fleet. When including Bell Helicopter and Robinson, among these 4 manufacturers, 93% of the Japanese fleet of 

helicopters is represented. 

The only manufacturers to succeed in growing their Japanese fleets in 2015 were Sikorsky (+29%) and 

AgustaWestland (+6%) with the total Japanese fleet actually contracting 3% in 2015. This phenomenon occur as a 

number of older piston helicopters (primarily R22/44s), single-engine (Bell 206s & AS350s primarily) and medium 

size helicopters (Bell 212s & AS365s primarily) were all retired and replaced by fewer, new helicopters like the S-76D 

and AW139. Eight S-76Ds entered service in 2015 with the Japanese Coast Guard (JCG) for SAR, as well as four 

AW139s, two of which are with the Japan National Police Agency (JNPA). In total there were 29 new deliveries in 

2015 and 2 pre-owned helicopters delivered, but 51 helicopters left the Japanese fleet through 2015, yielding a net 

growth of a negative 20 helicopters. 

The Japanese fleet is dominated by medium and light twin size helicopters – 58% of the fleet – with the fleet 

involved primarily in multi-mission, EMS, law enforcement, and SAR applications, these missions comprising 76% 

of the fleet. Japan’s climate and geography make the country prone to large scale natural disasters and extreme 

weather conditions, in addition to having many active volcanoes, frequent earthquakes, and typhoons. Such 

characteristics lend themselves to multi-mission and para-public operations, which in turn require the use of heavy 

and medium-sized helicopters. Medium-sized helicopters are also favoured by the considerably large corporate 

segment. 

There are 237 operators in the country, many of which are corporations and private users operating their helicopters 

independently. However, Japan’s 5 largest helicopter operators represent almost 37% of the total fleet, performing 

a wide variety of missions including EMS, SAR, disaster relief, charter services, industrial utility, aerial photography, 

electronic news gathering, and other activities. The biggest operator is Aero Asahi whose largest shareholder is 

Toyota Motor Corporation. Aero Asahi has a very diverse fleet including 14 different helicopter types, with the largest 

types being AS350s and AS355s. The 2nd largest operator is Nakanihon Air Service, part of All Nippon Airways Co., 

Ltd. It too has a very diverse fleet with 12 types, though the largest types are EC135s and AS350s. The remaining 3 

operators in the Top 5 are the Prefectural Police Departments, JCG and JNPA 

operating AW139s & Bell 412s, AW139s & S-76Ds and AW109s respectively. 

SAR and disaster relief operations are performed primarily by prefectural 

authorities throughout the archipelago, using advanced medium to heavy 

sized helicopters. Medium-sized helicopters represent 37% of the total 

Japanese fleet. The heavy and medium helicopter segments’ popularity in 

Japan is attributed to the operational needs of these para-public missions. 

Light single and twin-engine helicopters also hold a large market share 

representing 41% of the fleet. There are 147 piston-engine helicopters in 

Japan representing 19% by number, but only 1% by replacement cost. 

Airbus Helicopters holds 45% of the market followed by Robinson with 20%, 

and Bell Helicopter with 17%. AgustaWestland make up 11% of the market 

followed by Sikorsky with 4%. 

762 in Total 


JAPAN 




34+0 0+36 100+0 0+100 53+0 0+482+0 0+23+0 0+31+0 0+1 14+0 0+14 56+0 0+535+0 

0+4 

82 87 

342340 

149130 

2 

2 

3 

3 

1 

1 

15 15 

159149 

5 

4 

2014 (782) 


24 

31 


Enstrom 

Kaman 

Kamov 

MD 

Robinson 

Schweizer 

Sikorsky 


Multi-Mission 

100+0 0+980+44 47+00+43 45+00+37 39+00+30 28+00+24 26+00+19 20+00+1 0+00+1 

1 

310 309 

115107 109 

105 100 93 

67 72 

50 45 

30 29 

1 

2014 (782) 


1 

1 

Corporate 

EMS 


SAR 

Private 


Charter 



67+0 0+62 78+0 0+65 65+0 0+66 100+0 0+100 18+0 0+18 

164 

159 

147 155 155157 

281 281 

23 

22 

2014 (782) 


Piston 

Single 

Light Twin 

Medium 

Heavy 

28 



762 in Total 


762 in Total 

JAPAN 

Turbine 

81% 

41+14+14+13+8+6+4+G 

Multi-Mission 

41% 

Piston 147 (19%) 

Heavy 22 (3%) 

Medium 281 (37%) 

SAR 72 (9%) 


93 (12%) 



Single 155 (20%) 


EMS 

105 (14%) 



Note: Multi-Mission includes one charter and one offshore operations. 




Bell 


130 (17%) 

45+20+17+11+4+2+1+G 




MD 15 (2%) 

Others 10 (1%) 


340 (45%) 

56+18+14+9+1+1+1+G 

MD (1%) Robinson (1%) 

Sikorsky (9%) 

Bell 


(14%) 

762 $4,198M 

Agusta 

Westland (18%) 

Others (1%) 


(56%) 


JAPAN 


615 in Total 


87 (14%) 


340 (55%) 


130 (21%) 

Enstrom 1 

Kaman 3 

Kamov 1 

MD 15 (2%) 


44+41+1+184+69+51+43+26+24+8+6+6+6+4+4+4+3+1 

AW139 44 

AW109 41 

AW119 1 

AW101 1 

AS350 

EC135 69 

AS365 51 

BK117 43 

AS355 26 

EC145 24 

EC225 8 

AS332L1 7 

EC130 6 

SA315 6 

AS332L 4 

EC155 4 

BO105 4 

EC120 3 

AS332L2 1 

6 

Bell 412 57 

Bell 206 36 

Bell 430 12 

Bell 204 7 

Bell 427 6 

Bell 407 4 

Bell 429 4 

Bell 212 2 

Bell 214 1 

Bell 205 1 

EN480 1 

K-Max 3 

KA-32 1 

MD 900 

11 

MD 500 3 

MD 600 1 

R66 6 

84 

Schweizer 1 

S-333 

1 


S-76D 11 

S-76C+ 6 

S-76B 4 

S-76C++ 4 

S-76C 3 

S-76A+ 2 

S-92 1 

30 




JAPAN 

Aero Asahi 

Nakanihon Air 

Prefectural Police Departments 

Japan Coast Guard 

National Police Agency 

Toho Air Service 

Akagi Helicopter 

Nishi Nihon Air Services 

Hirata Gakuen 

All Nippon Helicopter 

Alpha Aviation 

Shin-Nihon Helicopter 

Tohoku Air Service 

Tokyo Fire Department 

Ogawa Air 

Kagoshima Air 

Shikoku Air 

Central Helicopter 

Rosen Air 

Hokkaido Air 

Asahi Shimbun 

Honda Airways 

S.G.C. Saga Aviation 

Sato Jitsugyo 

Auto Panther 

Chunichi Shimbun 

Dai Ichi Air 

DHC 

Fukuoka Fire Department 

Gov’t of Japan - Min of Transport 

Hideyuki- Private 

Japan Digital Laboratory 

Mainichi Newspapers 

Ministry of Land & Infrastructure 

Nihon Flight Safety 

Noevir Aviation 

3+3+3+3 

76+61+53+49+42+27+24+18+17+16+12+12+10+10+9+7+7+6+6+5+4+4+4+4+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

4 

4 

4 

4 

5 

6 

6 

7 

7 

10 

10 

9 

12 

12 

18 

17 

16 

24 

27 

42 

49 

Shizuoka Air 

Teikyo Daigaku 

Tsukuba Aviation 

Yomiuri Shimbun 

53 

3 

3 

3 

3 

61 

76 


JAPAN 

Top Operator Fleets by Model 

76+61+53+49+42+27+24+18+17+16 

61 

53 49 

42 

27 24 

18 17 16 


Airbus 



Aero Asahi 

Nakanihon Air 

Prefectural Police 

Departments 

Japan Coast 

Guard 

National Police 

Agency 

AW101 1 1 

AW109 3 20 23 

AW139 1 10 17 4 3 35 

AS332L 2 1 1 4 

AS332L1 2 3 5 

AS332L2 1 1 

AS350 17 16 8 5 5 1 52 

AS355 10 5 5 20 

AS365 2 1 7 5 1 7 23 

BK117 1 8 5 1 2 17 

EC135 20 4 5 3 13 6 51 

EC145 8 1 4 13 

EC155 2 1 1 4 

EC225 5 5 

SA315 6 6 

Bell 204 2 2 2 6 

Bell 206 9 3 4 3 2 7 28 

Bell 212 2 2 

Bell 412 3 1 12 5 4 2 27 

Bell 427 3 3 

Bell 429 1 1 2 

Bell 430 6 6 12 

Kaman K-Max 3 3 

Kamov KA-32 1 1 

MD MD 500 3 3 

MD 900 9 9 

Robinson R22 3 3 

S-76B 2 2 

S-76C 2 1 3 

Sikorsky S-76C+ 4 1 1 6 

S-76C++ 1 1 2 

S-76D 11 11 

Total 76 61 53 49 42 27 24 18 17 16 383 

Toho Air 

Service 

Akagi Helicopter 

Nishi Nihon Air 

Services 

Hirata Gakuen 

All Nippon 


Total 

32 


Fleet Breakdown by Mission & OEM 

JAPAN 

309 

100+40+40+35+24+15+5+1+1 

107 105 93 

72 

45 

29 1 1 

Multi-Mission 

Corporate 

EMS 


Total 


Airbus Helicopters 184 26 67 31 27 4 1 340 

Bell Helicopter 71 5 24 20 9 1 130 

Enstrom 1 1 2 

Kaman 3 3 

Kamov 1 1 

MD 6 3 6 15 

Robinson 25 56 1 38 29 149 

Schweizer 1 1 2 4 

Sikorsky 8 5 2 2 14 31 

Total 309 107 105 93 72 45 29 1 1 762 

SAR 

Private 


Charter 

Offshore 

Operations 


762 in Total 

45 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

1959 

1960 

1961 

1962 

1963 

1964 

1965 

1966 

1967 

1968 

1969 

1970 

1971 

1972 

1973 

1974 

1975 

1976 

1977 

1978 

1979 

1980 

1981 

1982 

1983 

1984 

1985 

1986 

1987 

1988 

1989 

1990 

1991 

1992 

1993 

1994 

1995 

1996 

1997 

1998 

1999 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 




JAPAN 





45+28+17+7+3+G 

+29 





50+50+G 

+2 


41+29+24+2+2+2+G 

-51 

Deductions 





Airbus Helicopters 15 (29%) Bell Helicopter 20 (39%) 

34 


JAPAN 


-20 in total 

Agusta 

Westland 

+5 

AW139 

AW109 -1 

1 1 

4 

EC135 

EC155 

-1 

2 

1 

BK117 

-3 

4 

Airbus 


-2 

EC225 

AS365 

-4 

1 

3 

AS350 

-4 

2 

SA315 

-1 

AS332L1 

-2 




Bell 412 

-3 

1 

Bell 


Robinson 

Schweizer 

Sikorsky 

+7 -1 

-10 

-19 

Bell 206 

Bell 212 

R66 

R22 

R44 

S-300 

S-76D 

S-76B 

-10 

-7 

-7 

-6 

-1 

-1 

1 

1 

1 

8 


SOUTH KOREA 

The South Korean Helicopter fleet numbered 216 helicopters at year-end 2015 

with para-public operations such as SAR, firefighting, marine patrol, and police work 

being the dominant mission category in the country. 

Despite its developed economy and advanced aviation industry, the Korean 

helicopter fleet has not grown much in recent years. In 2015 the Korean fleet 

remained unchanged with no significant growth drivers and a net 4 helicopter 

additions. 

In the para-public segment, 50% of the multi-mission fleet is used by the 

government for firefighting operations during the Korean summer and dry seasons. 

These helicopters are operated by Korean provincial authorities and ministries, and 

in many cases are leased from local operators granted with government contracts. 

The Ministry of Forestry operates a large fleet of 47 helicopters, of which 30 are 

Russian-built Kamov helicopters, many having been in service for over 15 years. In 

2015, the Ministry placed an order for several new Surion helicopters from Korean 

Aerospace Industries (KAI). The Surion was initially developed by KAI together with 

Airbus Helicopters to provide an indigenous option for replacing some of South 

Korea’s military helicopters as well as meeting other national rotary requirements. 

Airbus Helicopters make-up 25% of the market alongside Russian Helicopters, Mil, 

and Kamov, which combined represent nearly 30% of the fleet. Out of all the Asia 

Pacific countries, Russian-designed helicopters in South Korea have the strongest 

presence in terms of the number of helicopters in operation. 

Multi-mission operations are the largest mission segment in the country (66%) 

followed by helicopters used by large corporations for the transportation needs of 

their senior management. This corporate segment represents 13% if the total fleet. 

216 in Total 

36 



2014 (212) 


SOUTH KOREA 



12+0 0+15 54+0 0+55 44+0 0+443+0 0+30+0 0+12+0 0+2 52+0 0+518+0 0+89+0 

0+9 

12 

15 

54 

55 

44 44 

3 3 1 2 2 

52 

51 

8 8 9 9 5 4 

23 

24 


Enstrom 

Hiller Aircraft 

KAI 

Kamov 

MD 

Mil 

Robinson 

Sikorsky 


2014 (212) 


28 

28 

22 

21 

15 

15 

4 4 2 3 3 3 

138 142 124 125 

Multi-Mission 

Corporate 

SAR 




EMS 


2014 (212) 


6+0 0+6 55+0 0+56 14+0 0+16 100+0 0+100 13+0 0+13 

6 

6 

55 

56 

14 16 13 13 

Piston 

Single 

Light Twin 

Medium 

Heavy 


SOUTH KOREA 


216 in Total 


216 in Total 

63+13+10+8+3+2+1+G 

Piston 6 (3%) 

Heavy 13 (6%) 


SAR 21 (10%) 

Corporate 

28 (13%) 



Offshore Operations 3 (1%) 

EMS 3 (1%) 

Turbine 

97% 

Multi-Mission 

66% 

Single 56 (26%) 

Medium 125 (58%) Multi-Mission 142 (66%) 





MD 8 (4%) 

Mil 9 (4%) 

AugustaWestland 15 (7%) 



25+24+20+11+7+4+4+2+1+1+1+G 

KAI 2 (1%) 

Hiller Aircraft 1 (1%) 


55 (25%) 

27+26+21+9+9+4+3+1+G 

Mil (4%) KAI (3%) 


(9%) 

Bell 


(9%) 

216 $1,292M 

MD (1%) 


(27%) 


Kamov 51 (24%) 

Kamov (21%) 

Sikorsky (26%) 

Note: The market share of Enstrom, Hiller Aircraft and Robinson’s 

replacement cost are less than 1%. 

38 


SOUTH KOREA 


210 in Total 


15 (7%) 


55 (26%) 


44 (21%) 

Enstrom 

2 (1%) 

KAI 

2 (1%) 

Kamov 

51 (24%) 

MD 

8 (4%) 

Mil 

9 (4%) 

Sikorsky 

24 (11%) 

AW139 11 

AW109 2 

AW119 1 

SW-4 1 

11+2+1+1 16+11+10+6+6+3+1+1+125+8+6+2+2+12 2 51 7+1 6+3 7+5+3+3+2+2+1+1 

AS350 16 

AS365 11 

BK117 10 

B0105 6 

EC135 6 

EC155 3 

EC145 1 

AS355 1 

EC225 1 

Bell 206 25 

Bell 214 8 

Bell 412 6 

Bell 407 2 

Bell 430 2 

Bell 230 1 


Surion 

2 

KA-32 51 

MD 500 7 

MD 520 1 

Mi-2 6 

Mi-8 3 

S-76C+ 7 

S-61 5 

S-76B 3 

S-64 3 

S-76D 2 

S-76C++ 2 

S-92 1 

S-58 1 


SOUTH KOREA 


51 Operators 

Gov’t Forestry Department 


Heli Korea 

Gov’t Coast Guard 

Hongik Air 

Sejin Aviation 

Tongil Air 

Yecheon Astro Space Center 

Korean Air Lines 

Samsung Techwin 

Air Palace 

Central SAR 119 

UB Air 

UI Helijet 

Hanseo University 

Gyeonggi Fire Department 

Seoul Fire Department 

Busan Fire Department 

Changwoon Aviation 

Daegu Metro Fire Department 

Deajin Air 

Gov’t of South Korea 

Incheon Fire Department 

Jeollanam-do State Gov’t 

LG 

POSCO 

Woori Aviation 

Ace Air 

Blue Airline 

Chungbuk Fire Department 

Chungcheongnam-do 

Donghae & Machinery Airlines 

EMS Air 

Farm & Copter 

Gangwon Province 

Gangwon-do Fire Department 

Hana Air 

Hanwha Chemical 

47 

47+17+16+15+11+9+8+7+6+6+5+5+5+5+4+3+3+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

3 

3 

4 

5 

5 

5 

5 

6 

6 

7 

8 

9 

11 

16 

15 

17 

1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1Uslan 

Hyundai Motor 

Korea Air Express 

Korean Broadcasting System 

Kyungbuk Fire Department 

Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation 

National Park Authority 

Pearl Korea 

Samsung Hospital 

SK Telecom 

SN Air 

Sung Joon Airlines 

TransHeli 

Fire Department 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

40 



SOUTH KOREA 

47+17+16+15+11+9+8+7+6+6 

17 16 15 11 9 8 7 6 6 

Agusta 

Westland 

Airbus 


Bell 


Gov’t Forestry 

Department 


Heli Korea 

Gov’t Coast 

Guard 

Hongik Air 

Total 

AW109 2 2 

AW119 1 1 

AW139 2 4 6 

AS350 4 6 1 11 

EC155 2 2 

EC135 1 5 6 

AS365 4 4 

BK117 1 1 1 1 4 

BO105 6 6 

Bell 206 8 6 2 1 2 19 

Bell 214 4 2 1 7 

Bell 407 1 1 

Bell 412 1 3 4 

KAI Surion 2 2 

Kamov KA-32 30 3 8 41 

MD 

MD 500 2 1 3 

MD 520 1 1 

Mil 

Mi-2 5 5 

Mi-8 3 3 

Robinson 

R22 1 1 

R44 1 1 

S-61 4 4 

Sikorsky 

S-64 3 3 

S-76C+ 3 1 4 

S-92 1 1 

Total 47 17 16 15 11 9 8 7 6 6 142 

Sejin Aviation 

Tongil Air 

Yecheon Asto 

Space Center 

Korean 

Air Lines 

Samsung 

Techwin 


SOUTH KOREA 


Multi-Mission 

Coporate 

SAR 

100+40+30+21+5+4+4 

142 

28 

21 

15 

4 

3 

3 

Law 

Enforcement 


EMS 

Offshore 

Operations 

Total 

AgustaWestland 6 4 2 3 15 

Airbus Helicopters 35 10 9 1 55 

Bell Helicopter 32 2 1 7 1 1 44 

Enstrom 1 2 3 

Hiller Aircraft 1 1 

KAI 2 2 

Kamov 43 8 51 

MD 8 8 

Mil 5 3 1 9 

Robinson 3 1 4 

Sikorsky 9 11 1 3 24 

Total 142 28 21 15 4 3 3 216 


216 in Total 

20 

18 

16 

14 

12 

10 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

1957 

1958 

1959 

1960 

1961 

1962 

1963 

1964 

1965 

1966 

1967 

1968 

1969 

1970 

1971 

1972 

1973 

1974 

1975 

1976 

1977 

1978 

1979 

1980 

1981 

1982 

1983 

1984 

1985 

1986 

1987 

1988 

1989 

1990 

1991 

1992 

1993 

1994 

1995 

1996 

1997 

1998 

1999 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 


42 


0 0+1 0+1 0 1 1 0 

SOUTH KOREA 


4 in total 

Agusta 

Westland 

Airbus 


Bell 


Hiller 

Aircraft 

Kamov 

Robinson 

Sikorsky 

+3 

+1 

+1 

-1 

-1 

+1 

AW139 

BO105 

AS365 

Bell 206 

Bell 214 

UH-12 

KA-32 

R22 

S-76B 

-1 

-1 

-1 

-1 

0 3 2+0 0+0 1+0 0+0 1 0 0 0 1 0 

1 

1 

1 

2 

3 





20 countries around the world. Its clients value the 

integrity, experience, and commitment of Waypoint’s 

leadership team and financial sponsors. Over the 

years the company has expanded from its roots in 

Ireland to open offices in Australia, Brazil, Singapore, 

South Africa, and the UK, making it more easily 

accessible to its clients around the world. 

Philip Stransky, Waypoint’s Vice President of Sales 

and Relationship Management, Asia, leads the 

company’s work in the Asia region. Philip came to 

the helicopter leasing business when he took a year 

off to attend business school after nearly a decade 

with SEACOR, principally in the marine business. 

While studying at MIT, he was regularly in touch 

with Ed Washecka, CEO of Waypoint, and his team, 

who were busy raising capital and getting Waypoint 

Leasing off the ground. Philip says, “Ed offered me 

the unique opportunity to return to Singapore, where 

I had spent three and a half years with SEACOR, to 

help catapult Waypoint’s efforts in the region with the 

goal of becoming the largest independent helicopter 

leasing company. By late 2014, when I came back 

to Singapore, Waypoint had already successfully 

negotiated and signed a number of leases in Asia. 

Our goal was then to provide current and potential 

customers with a local contact and the ability to act 

immediately and follow up swiftly. Being on the 

ground has been tremendously successful, giving 

us the ability to work on opportunities with regional 

clients and to ensure that we provide exciting 

solutions in a time sensitive manner.” 

Vice President 

Sales and Relationship 

Management, Asia 

In the business aviation sector, helicopter operators have been hit 

especially hard by the current struggles of the global oil and gas 

industry. Many operators have chosen therefore to reduce risks by 

leasing helicopters, instead of tying up capital resources and taking on 

even greater risks by purchasing one. In choosing a leasing company, 

it is imperative that one find a well-capitalized company with solid 

assets, headed by entrepreneurial managers who know the helicopter 

business and for whom leasing helicopters is the core business. No 

company fits the bill better than Waypoint Leasing, the world’s largest 

independent helicopter leasing company. 

Waypoint was founded in 2013 by a team of helicopter industry 

veterans, most of whom had firsthand experience as helicopter 

operators. Waypoint’s three major long term investors are MSD 

Capital, L.P., Quantum Strategic Partners, and Cartesian Capital Group 

LLC. Collectively these three fund investors lead the way, giving the 

Ireland-based Waypoint financial depth and reliability to face any 

challenges that may show up on the world economy’s radar. The 

company now has $1.4 billion in helicopter assets, representing a fleet 

of over 120 helicopters which are leased to operators in more than 

As a multi-national (France, USA, and UK) Philip 

grew up fascinated by aviation, clocking up a good 

number of air miles. He was given his first taste of 

the helicopter business in 2009 which only further 

increased his longing to be in the industry. “The 

opportunity of joining Waypoint was the ideal way 

of matching my personal passion for aviation with a 

background in business development,” says Philip. 

Philip and his senior management team bring 

clients decades of experience, giving them a unique 

insight into the customers’ needs for high quality 

aircraft, innovative financing options, and longstanding 

relationships with service providers. Philip 

approaches the company’s role from the perspective 

of the operator and the end user. Waypoint’s leasing 

solutions address not only the present needs of the 

client, but also anticipate the cyclical realities of the 

helicopter industry, positioning Waypoint to be able 

to address the needs and challenges that lie just 

beyond the horizon as well. 

Waypoint’s expertise is firmly fixed on the helicopter 

market. The company’s fleet of technologically 

advanced helicopters include aircraft manufactured 

by Finmeccanica (formerly AugustaWestland), Bell 

Helicopter, Airbus Helicopters, and Sikorsky. Its fleet 

ranges from heavy to medium to light-twin models, 

44 


and its customers utilize these helicopters in oil and gas, 

search and rescue, hospital emergency service, firefighting, 

utility, and government support operations. Philip sums up 

Waypoint’s competitive advantage this way, “Waypoint is run 

by those who are passionate about the helicopter business. 

Our senior managers have a firsthand understanding of 

operators’ needs and their desire for the most suitable 

aircraft, innovative and flexible financing solutions, and strong 

long-term relationships with service providers. This is the 

edge that positions us ahead of the game.” 

Philip has been one of the groundbreakers in the industry. In 

2015, Waypoint negotiated and signed a number of leases, 

and placing a new H145 in Papua New Guinea with Pacific 

was, for Philip, an especially gratifying achievement. He says, 

“We hope that the current year will continue to be a year of 

firsts, where we negotiate and sign new leases in countries 

which have so far eluded us.” 

That is not to suggest that his career path has not been 

without its challenges. When asked about the notable 

obstacles he has faced in the industry, Philip says, “Arriving 

in Asia in 2010 was challenging. I had been based in Mexico, 

and had done business in Europe and Africa. However, 

understanding the nuances of working in Asia takes time 

and patience, particularly learning the details of a variety of 

cultures. Every day has been exciting and I am continuously 

enjoying the experience.” 

Recognizing the many advantages of leasing over buying – 

including timely access to the required aircraft, matching of 

needs to supply, potential for worldwide operations, freeing 

up of capital, and avoiding risk and interest rates – many 

operators are turning to companies like Waypoint Leasing to 

meet their helicopter needs. The advantages Waypoint offers 

over other lessors are numerous. As a full service lessor, 

Waypoint offers numerous value-added services to operators, 

including flexible lease options, a global presence, competitive 

pricing, and flexible helicopter configurations. Waypoint’s 

strong relationships with OEMs and its global presence make 

it one of the most attractive options of all helicopter leasing 

companies worldwide. 

That is not to say that one is ever guaranteed smooth 

sailing, especially in a volatile industry like business aviation. 

Waypoint Leasing recognizes the challenges currently 

facing the market, particular with today’s low oil prices. 

In addressing these challenges, Philip says, “With the oil 

and gas market challenged by low oil prices, Waypoint has 

positioned its order book to focus on EMS and parapublic 

helicopters. At the Helitech 2015 show in London last 

October, we announced orders and commitments for up to 

38 new rotorcraft. In a deal with Airbus Helicopters, Waypoint 

Leasing signed to buy up to 20 H135 singles over the next 

three years, making it the first lessor to offer the H135 in its 

portfolio.” 

Waypoint also agreed to acquire 18 AugustaWestland 

helicopters, a mix of AW189 super medium twins, AW169 

light intermediates, and the AW139 intermediate. At a time 

when other leasing companies who rushed into the market 

when oil and gas services commanded top dollar and are 

now dropping out due to low oil prices, Waypoint Leasing is 

not only continuing its service, but is expanding to meet its 

clients’ needs even better. 

With a wealth of expertise and experience under his belt, 

Philip knows what it takes to make it in this tough industry. In 

offering advice to those who want to succeed in the helicopter 

leasing field, he says, “Principally, you have to understand 

the needs of each individual customer. The beauty of being 

based in Asia is that I get to cover a huge portion of the world 

where there is a tremendous variety of customs and ways of 

doing business. Handling these challenges successfully while 

providing each customer with timely attention can lead to 

exponential growth of the business while also bringing great 

personal satisfaction.” 


CENTRAL ASIA 

INDIA 

The India market is an emerging one that holds promise for 2016. 

Whereas net growth was flat in 2015, new regulations for helicopters 

from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGAC), due to be issued 

in April 2016 after consultation with all the relevant stakeholders, 

should provide the catalyst to spur on renewed growth. Hopes 

are the regulations will be flexible enough to take advantage of 

a helicopter’s unique capabilities, and that the implementation 

process will be allowed to be handled by a separate, dedicated 

helicopter department within the DGCA. New regulations that are 

apparently being consider will allow helicopters to fly freely from 

point to point without prior ATC clearance in airspace below 5,000 

feet, as well as in other areas that would otherwise be prohibited 

and/or restricted after filing the flight plan with the nearest ATC 

office. Interest is also high in introducing streamlined procedures 

so as to potentially reduce delays for getting approval for landing at 

temporary helipads. 

The Indian market is the 5th largest in the Asia Pacific region 

and dominated by Airbus Helicopters, Bell Helicopter and 

AgustaWestland. Their respective market shares of the Indian 

market are 39%, 29% and 12%, with the size categories uniquely 

dominated by either medium or single engine (40%/38% split) 

helicopters. The high market share of medium sized helicopters is 

driven by mission requirements from the onshore (included in the 

Multi-Mission category) and offshore oil and gas business in India, 

which also demonstrates the role and sensitivity energy plays in the 

local helicopter market. 

304 in Total 

The medium sized helicopter mostly utilised in India is the Dauphin 

/ AS365 (40), followed then by the AW139 (10) & S-76C++ (5). The 

single engine helicopters in use are more diverse lead by the Bell 

407 (29), Alouette / SA316 (26), AS350 (24) and finally the Dhruv 

(21) from local manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). 

The Indian market has 130 operators, but the top three operate 30% 

of the fleet. The top three are Pawan Hans Ltd., the Indian Coast 

Guard, and Global Vectra Helicorp. Pawan Hans Ltd. is 51% owned 

by the Government of India and 49% by the Oil and Natural Gas 

Corporation (ONGC). Its primary objective is to provide helicopter 

support services to the oil sector for its off-shore exploration 

operations and operates Dauphins. The Indian Coast Guard protects 

India’s maritime interests and enforces maritime law using Alouettes 

and Dhruvs. Global Vectra Helicorp. specializes in offshore and 

onshore transportation services to the oil and gas sector as well, but 

using AW139s and Bell 412s. 

46 



INDIA 



30+0 0+31 100+0 0+100 74+0 0+73 1+0 0+1 17+0 0+17 3+0 0+3 4+0 0+4 14+0 0+14 3+0 0+3 

37 

38 

120 120 

89 

88 

2 

2 

21 

21 

2014 (304) 


17 17 

4 4 5 5 4 4 5 5 


Enstrom 

HAL 

MD 

Mil 

Robinson 

Schweizer 

Sikorsky 


15+0 0+15 91+0 0+93 34+0 0+34 100+0 0+97 4+0 0+4 

19 

19 

124 

113 116 

121 

43 

43 

5 

5 

2014 (304) 


Piston 

Single 

Light Twin 

Medium 

Heavy 


INDIA 


304 in Total 


304 in Total 

Piston 19 (6%) 

Heavy 5 (2%) 

Flight Training 8 (3%) Law Enforcement 6 (2%) 



Turbine 

94% 

Turbine 285 (95%) 

Medium 121 (40%) 

39+24+15+8+8+3+2+1+G 


SAR 

25 (8%) 

Multi-Mission 

39 



Single 116 (38%) 





Mil 5 (2%) 

MD 4 (1%) 



Mil (2%) 

Agusta 

Westland 

38 (12%) 

39+29+12+7+6+2+2+1+1+G 


HAL 21 (7%) 


HAL 

(12%) 

Agusta 

Westland 

(18%) 

38+24+18+12+4+2+1+1+G 

Sikorsky (4%) 

304 $1,643M 

Others (1%) 

MD (1%) 


(38%) 


88 (29%) 


120 (39%) 

Bell Helicopter (24%) 

Note: The market share of Enstrom, Mil, Robinson and Schweizer’s 

replacement costs are less than 1%. 

48 



285 in Total 

INDIA 


38 (13%) 


120 (42%) 


88 (31%) 


HAL 21 (7%) 

MD 4 (1%) 

Mil 5 (2%) 

Robinson 1 

Schweizer 1 


24+10+4 40+26+24+6+5+5+4+4+3+2+129+28+14+7+3+3+2+2 2 21 3+1 5 1 1 5 

AW109 24 

AW139 10 

AW119 4 

AS365 40 

SA316 26 

AS350 24 

EC135 6 

AS355 5 

SA319 5 

SA315 4 

EC155 4 

EC130 3 

EC120 2 

EC145 1 

Bell 407 

Bell 412 

Bell 206 14 

Bell 429 7 

Bell 230 3 

Bell 212 3 

Bell 430 

Bell 427 


Dhruv 

2 

MD 900 3 

MD 520 1 

R66 1 

S-330 1 

2 

2 

Mi-8 5 

S-76C++ 5 

21 

28 

29 


INDIA 



Pawan Hans Helicopters 

Indian Coast Guard 

Global Vectra Helicorp 


Hindustan Aeronautics 

Deccan Charters 

Indian Border Security Force 

OSS Air Management 

Prabhatam Aviation 

United Helicharters 

Aryan Aviation 

Ghodawat Industries 

Gov’t of Uttar Pradesh 

HAL Rotary Wing Academy 

Heritage Aviation 

Himalayan Heli Services 

India Fly Safe Aviation 

Mesco Airlines 

Reliance Commercial Dealers 

UTair India 

Aerotech Aviation India 

Aryan Aviation 

B.G. Shirke Construction Technology 

Dhillon Aviation 

Essar Group 

Gov’t of Bihar 

Gov’t of Jammu & Kashmir 

Gov’t of Jharkhand 

Gov’t of Madhya Pradesh 

Gov’t of Maharashtra 

Gov’t of Uttaranchal 

Hindustan Construction Company 

Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys 

Indo Copters 

Jaypee Associates 

Kestrel Aviation 

44+25+23+9+9+7+6+5+4+4+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2 2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

4 

4 

5 

6 

7 

9 

9 

23 

25 

King Rotors & Air Charter 

Kingfisher Airlines 

Oil & Natural Gas Corporation 

Oxford Enterprises 

Reliance Industries 

Religare Aviation 

Summit Aviation 

Tata Power Company 

Tata Steel 

Trans Bharat Aviation 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

44 

50 



INDIA 

44+25+23+9+9+7+6+5+4+4 

25 23 

9 9 7 6 5 4 4 

Pawan Hans 


Indian Coast 

Guard 

Global Vectra 

Helicorp 


Total 

AW109 4 4 

AgustaWestland AW119 1 1 

AW139 4 3 7 

AS350 2 4 1 2 9 

EC155 1 1 

EC135 1 1 2 

AS355 1 1 

Airbus 

AS365 32 2 34 


EC130 1 1 

SA315 1 1 

SA316 20 1 21 

SA319 1 1 

Bell 206 3 2 5 

Bell 212 2 2 

Bell Helicopter Bell 230 1 1 

Bell 407 4 4 

Bell 412 12 4 2 2 20 

HAL Dhruv 5 5 5 15 

Mil Mi-8 3 3 

Schweizer 

S-300 2 2 

S-330 1 1 

Total 44 25 23 9 9 7 6 5 4 4 136 

Hindustan 

Aeronautics 

Deccan Charters 

Indian Border 

Security Force 

OSS Air 

Management 

Prabhatam 

Aviation 

United 

Helicharters 


INDIA 


117 

100+87+55+29+28+9+7+4 

74 

47 

25 24 

8 6 3 


304 in Total 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

1973 

1974 

1975 

1976 

1977 

1978 

1979 

1980 

1981 

1982 

1983 

1984 

1985 

1986 

1987 

1988 

1989 

1990 

1991 

1992 

1993 

1994 

1995 

1996 

1997 

1998 

1999 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 


Multi-Mission 

Corporate 

Offshore 

Operations 

SAR 



Bell Helicopter 38 22 18 9 1 88 

Enstrom 1 1 2 

HAL 10 5 1 5 21 

MD 2 2 4 

Mil 2 3 5 

Robinson 3 11 2 1 17 

Schweizer 1 3 4 

Sikorsky 1 4 5 

Total 117 74 47 25 24 8 6 3 304 

Charter 



Private 

Total 


52 



INDIA 

Agusta 

Westland 

+1 

AW139 

1 

EC130 

2 

Airbus 


AS350 

-1 

2 




AS365 

-3 

Bell 


-1 

Bell 412 

-1 


SOUTHEAST ASIA 

THAILAND 

The largest share of helicopters in Thailand are used by the Thai government for 

law enforcement, environmental conservation, forestry, and aerial surveying. Only 

a few local operators have established traditional commercial operations and 

primarily for supporting the offshore oil and gas industry in the Gulf of Thailand, as 

well as providing helicopters for corporate use and charter services. 

There are 112 helicopters operating in Thailand. Bell Helicopter is the market 

leader with 46%, followed by Airbus Helicopters with 30%, and Sikorsky and 

AgustaWestland at 12% and 7% respectively. 

112 in Total 

Uncharacteristically, most operators in Thailand chose to focus on one specific 

mission rather that a more diverse range of services. Providers of charter, 

EMS, SAR and offshore operations, as well as helicopters used by large Thai 

conglomerates for corporate transport, are all separate operators. 

Primary government operators are the Thai Royal Police Department which is active 

in a variety of law enforcement activities. The Ministry of Natural Resources and 

Environment is responsible for protecting the country’s natural resources. 

In the offshore segment, SFS Aviation, Thai Aviation Services, and United Offshore 

Aviation operate a combined fleet of 21 helicopters. 

Advance Aviation operates a fleet of five helicopters and are the largest charter 

service provider in the country. 

Thailand’s fleet grew by only 1 helicopter in 2015 compared to 12 additions in 

2014. Thailand’s aviation regulations restrict the importation of helicopters above 

5 years old, making it difficult for used aircraft to penetrate the market, forcing 

operators and buyers to opt for new helicopters unless they are locally available. 

ASG expects multi-mission and utility helicopter activity to rise in Thailand in the 

coming years. 


THAILAND 


7+0 0+8 32+0 0+34 53+0 0+526+0 13+0 0+13 

7 

8 

32 34 

53 52 

6 

5 

13 13 

2014 (111) 





Robinson 

Sikorsky 



49+0 0+50 26+0 0+27 21+0 0+214+0 0+55+0 0+33+0 0+32+0 0+21+0 

0+1 

49 50 

26 27 

21 21 

4 

5 

5 

3 

3 

3 

2 

2 

1 

1 

2014 (111) 


Multi-Mission 


Charter 

Corporate 


Private 

EMS 


6+0 0+5 37+0 0+374+0 0+4 62+0 0+642+0 

0+2 

6 

5 

37 37 

4 

4 

62 64 

2 

2 

2014 (111) 


Piston 

Single 

Light Twin 

Medium 

Heavy 

56 



112 in Total 


112 in Total 

THAILAND 

Turbine 

96% 

44+24+19+4+3+3+2+1+G 

Law 

Enforcement 

44% 


Piston 5 (4%) 

Heavy 2 (2%) 




21 (19%) 



EMS 1 (1%) 

Single 37 (33%) 

Medium 64 (57%) 






46+30+12+7+5+G 


Sikorsky 

13 (12%) 


34 (30%) 



52 (46%) 

Airbus 


(27%) 

34+28+27+11+G 

AgustaWestland (11%) 

112 $623M 


(34%) 


Note: The market share of Robinson’s replacement cost is less than 1%. 


THAILAND 


107 in Total 


8 (7%) 

AW109 

8 

Airbus 


34 (32%) 

AS350 

EC155 

7 

14 

EC130 

4 

EC135 

EC145 

3 

3 

AS365 

2 

AS355 

1 


52 (49%) 

Bell 206 

Bell 412 

14 

18 

Bell 212 

12 

Bell 205 

7 

Bell 407 

1 

Sikorksy 

13 (12%) 

S-76C++ 

S-76C+ 

4 

7 

S-92 

2 

58 


Top Operator Fleets 

50+12+10+6+5+5+5+4+3+3+3 

by Model 

50 

12 10 6 5 5 5 4 3 3 3 

THAILAND 

Police-Aviation 

Dept 

Natural Resources 

Ministry 

Thai Aviation 

Services 

SFS 

Aviation 

Advance 

Aviation 

Total 

AgustaWestland AW139 3 5 8 

AS350 11 2 1 14 

AS355 1 1 

Airbus AS365 2 2 

Helicopters EC130 3 1 4 

EC135 1 2 3 

EC155 5 2 7 

Bell 205 7 7 

Bell 206 15 2 1 18 

Bell Helicopter Bell 212 12 12 

Bell 407 1 1 

Bell 412 9 2 11 

Robinson R44 3 2 5 

S-76C+ 1 3 4 

Sikorsky S-76C++ 7 7 

S-92 2 2 

Total 50 12 10 6 5 5 5 4 3 3 3 106 

Agricultural 

Aviation 

United Offshore 

Aviation 

Thai Survey 

Department 

Civil Aviation 

Training Center 

Electricity Generating 

Authority 

Heliluck 

Aviation 


50+27+21+5+3+3+2+1 

27 

21 

5 3 3 2 1 


Multi-Mission 

Offshore 

Operations 

Charter 

Total 

AgustaWestland 8 8 

Airbus Helicopters 7 19 5 2 1 34 

Bell Helicopter 43 6 1 2 52 


Sikorsky 13 13 

Total 50 27 21 5 3 3 2 1 112 

Corporate 


Private 

EMS 


THAILAND 


112 in Total 

12 

10 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

1959 

1960 

1961 

1962 

1963 

1964 

1965 

1966 

1967 

1968 

1969 

1970 

1971 

1972 

1973 

1974 

1975 

1976 

1977 

1978 

1979 

1980 

1981 

1982 

1983 

1984 

1985 

1986 

1987 

1988 

1989 

1990 

1991 

1992 

1993 

1994 

1995 

1996 

1997 

1998 

1999 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 



60 


THAILAND 


1 in total 

Agusta 

Westland 

+1 

AW139 

1 

EC155 

2 

2 

EC130 

1 


Airbus 


+2 

EC165 

1 



AS365 

-1 

BK117 

-1 

Bell 


-1 

Bell 430 

-1 

Robinson 

-1 

R44 

-1 


SPOTLIGHT ON SAFETY 

Operator Profile 

SFS Aviation 

Tisanu Ratanarat 

CEO 

SFS Avation 

During the oil industry’s boom time when oil prices were 

three figures per barrel, offshore helicopters were selling at 

an incredible pace. Perceiving a huge market opportunity, 

companies serving the oil & gas industry likewise started 

popping up everywhere. But as with any growth surge based 

on a boom in a notoriously volatile market, not all the new 

start-ups that came along were built to last. Those that were 

constructed to weather the lean times, as we find ourselves 

in today, recognized that to survive one key element was the 

need to create a long-term culture of expertise and safety. 

SFS Aviation Co. Ltd. in Thailand is one of the hardiest 

operators to be found in the helicopter industry, founded on 

a safety culture that has not only won it countless accolades, 

but also provides an excellent model for how newcomers to 

the industry might succeed, even in a market as tough as 

today. 

The secret to SFS’s success has been its commitment to 

a safety culture that in turn opens the door for constant 

expansion and opportunity. The company is part of a Thaiowned 

family business with revenues of US$350 million 

which specializing in fuel, lubricants, chemicals, land 

and marine logistics, fabrications, aviation, and the R&D 

activities related to these industries. Founded in 1990 

by CEO and professionally trained helicopter pilot Chira 

Ratanarat, SFS currently flies offshore in Thailand with new 

technology aircraft, operations that began in 2005. SFS is 

the only Thai operator that is in compliance with Thai legal 

regulations regarding the number of Thai pilots, and is the 

first to use European standard manuals, a new Thai Director 

of Civil Aviation requirement. 

In addressing the current struggles in the offshore helicopter 

market, SFS Aviation CEO Tisanu Ratanarat says, “All of us 

are trying to survive this ‘great down-turn’ in our own ways. 

But we hope that despite the cost-conscious environment, 

all of us can continue to stay true to our mottos and our 

essential safety policies. In fact, with a slow market and 

reduced activities, there is no better time than now to look 

inward and see how we can improve our standardized 

processes. It is an opportunity to enhance our services so 

that, when the market turns up again, our industries will be 

even safer than they are today.” 

62 


SFS’s commitment to safety has been a 

mainstay of its development and vision from the 

earliest days. Ratanarat suggests that there 

are several tasks that will help operators reach 

the highest level of safety performance. These 

tasks include surveying and recognizing all 

the possible threats and risks in the industry, 

analyzing and mapping those risks against 

unwanted hazardous scenarios, designing 

risk control processes to prevent those 

scenarios from happening, implementing 

and monitoring risk control processes, and 

continually revamping the processes to further 

strengthen them before reimplementation. In 

addition, safety performance initiatives can be 

enhanced through the introduction of a Safety 

Management System and Audit Program. SFS 

itself provides a particularly strong example 

of the application of these initiatives and 

enhancements, and remains committed to the 

idea that the right enhancements of this sort will 

drive operators in the region to perform better in 

safety management. 

Ratanarat adds further, “An appropriate Audit 

Program designed to build up and lead to a 

higher and safer performing operation assumes 

that the operator will keep records of Safety KPIs 

or SPIs (Safety Performance Indicators) and logs 

of the existing and redesigned and improved 

risk control processes.” The steps to formulate 

such a program begin with an audit of basic 

standard operation documentation, hardware, 

and operation/maintenance/training records. 

From there, it moves to an audit of activities 

under the Safety Management System, such as 

Safety Case and Management of Change. The 

next step is to determine whether Risk Profiles 

and Maps reflect the real risks in the operating 

environment and whether the control processes 

for those risks are actually in place. From there, 

the program moves to an audit for additional riskrelated 

changes and incoming triggers, leading 

to an update (i.e., redesign and implementation) 

of the relevant Risk Control Processes. Next, an 

audit is made of the effectiveness and elegance 

of the design evolution of the Risk Control 

Processes. The final step is an audit of how 

quickly the Risk Control Processes are modified 

from the time the trigger occurs, so as to 

minimize exposure time to any of the new risks 

that might surface. 

Ratanarat notes that passing an audit of 

the above depth and scale is a challenge 

for any company, especially because the 

current standards and guidelines stop at the 

second step. He adds, “What is needed is the 

commitment and drive from individual auditors 

to seek further solutions. The goal should be to 

push past the fourth step, which would mean 

attaining true safety performance.” 

To Ratanarat and SFS, it is obvious that the 

goal of all oil companies and operators should 

be to operate safely so as to avoid accidents 

and save lives. The company hopes to set a 

standard for the region, calling on its fellow 

operators to allocate the necessary time and 

management resources to create an in-depth 

Safety Management System Specification and 

complementary Audit Program. Ratanarat urges, 

“Now is the opportune time to drive our region’s 

safety to the next level. If we succeed, we can all 

come out on the other side better geared for a 

safer tomorrow.” 


64 


PHILIPPINES 

The Philippines helicopter fleet has the characteristics of a mature, developed and 

relatively free market in terms of airspace and operating regulations. There are 

200 helicopters in service in the Philippines, up from 186 in 2014, representing 

an 8% increase. Airbus Helicopters represents over 40% of the fleet, followed by 

Robinson with 22%, Bell Helicopter 21%, and AgustaWestland with a 7% market 

share. 

The geography of the Philippines makes helicopters an essential means of 

efficient transportation. The archipelago consists of over 7,000 islands in three 

main island groups, Luzon in the North, central Visayas, and Mindanao in the 

South. Transportation infrastructure within the main islands is still poor despite 

government efforts and plans to improve them over time. Severe traffic within and 

on the roads leading to Manila make mobility extremely difficult at times. Adding 

to the geographic layout and poor infrastructure, the Philippines are frequently 

hit by extreme weather conditions causing occasional natural disasters requiring 

significant relief efforts. These conditions make helicopters a major internal means 

of transport for corporations with operations throughout the country such as the 

construction industry, mining, agriculture, fisheries, and livestock. 

200 in Total 

There are over 100 operators in the Philippines for a fleet of 200 helicopters. 

Many operators are individuals and corporations managing their own helicopters, 

which typically are either light single or piston-engine helicopters. These 2 types 

represent 66% of the total Philippines fleet. This strong and stable market in terms 

of private transport and corporate use in the Philippines results in these missions 

representing 42% of the market, the largest corporate market share in the Asia 

Pacific region. This is followed by multi-mission helicopters (28%) and those used 

for charter services (13%). 

There are very few civil helicopters dedicated to SAR and EMS. Some of these 

operations are under the responsibility of the Philippines navy which has been 

slowly adding helicopters and making plans for SAR and disaster relief capabilities. 

Additions to the Philippines fleet in 2015 were deliveries to a combination of 

corporate and government entities. 11 of these were new aircraft, 8 were preowned, 

along with 5 deductions. 

In preparation for the upcoming elections in May 2016, many operators have 

been gearing-up and preparing their fleets for the expected high volume of charter 

requirements during the election campaigns of electoral candidates. 

In Manila, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is home to a large number 

of helicopter operators. However, high traffic levels and the lack of space at the 

airport is making the environment increasingly challenging and is causing some 

general aviation companies to look for alternative operational solutions. Clark 

International Airfield is positioning itself as a primary candidate to becoming 

a general aviation hub and attracting aviation related businesses, including 

helicopters, to move their operations to the Clark Freeport Zone. 


PHILIPPINES 



16+0 0+14 79+0 0+84 37+0 0+432+0 0+26+0 0+9 44+0 0+452+0 0+2 0+0 0+3 

16 14 

79 

84 

44 45 

37 43 2 6 9 

2 2 2 1 

2014 (186) 




Enstrom 

MD 

Robinson 

Schweizer 

Sikorsky 


Corporate 

74+0 0+75 52+0 0+57 26+0 0+26 12+0 0+18 11+0 0+115+0 0+53+0 0+33+0 0+310 

74 75 

51 

57 

26 26 

18 

12 

11 11 

2014 (186) 


5 5 3 3 3 3 1 2 

Multi-Mission 

Charter 


Private 


SAR 


EMS 


2014 (186) 


47+0 0+48 82+0 0+85 30+0 0+32 27+0 0+35 

47 48 

82 85 

30 32 

35 

27 

Piston 

Single 

Light Twin 

Meidum 

66 



200 in Total 


200 in Total 

PHILIPPINES 

Medium 35 (18%) 

Piston 48 (24%) 

Turbine 

76% 


Single 85 (42%) 

37+28+13+9+5+3+2+2+1+G 


5 (3%) 


Law 

Enforcement 

18 (9%) 

Charter 

26 (13%) 

Multi-Mission 

57 (28%) 

Corporate 

37% 

SAR 3 (2%) 


EMS 2 (1%) 

Corporate 

75 (37%) 




5+2+1+42+22+21+7+G 



43 (21%) 

MD 9 (5%) 

Others 4 (2%) 


50+26+16+3+2+2+1+G 

MD (3%) Sikorsky (2%) 


(16%) 

200 $652M 

Robinson (2%) 

Others (1%) 



84 (42%) 



(50%) 


PHILIPPINES 


152 in Total 


14 (9%) 

AW109 

AW139 

4 

8 

AW119 

2 

Airbus 


84 (55%) 

AS350 

EC130 

16 

7 

35 

BO105 

10 

AS355 

7 

EC135 

EC145 

AS365 

4 

4 

4 

SA313 

2 

EC155 

SA341 

1 

1 


43 (28%) 

Bell 206 

Bell 412 

13 

19 

Bell 429 

5 

Bell 430 

Bell 407 

2 

2 


Bell 427 

Bell 214 


1 

1 

1 

MD 9 (6%) 

MD 500 

4 

MD 900 

MD 600 

2 

2 

Sikorksy 1 (1%) 

MD 520 

S-76A 

1 

1 

68 




PHILIPPINES 

Lionair 

15 


12 


9 

Subic Int’l Air Charter 

8 

Asian Aerospace Corporation 

National Defense 

6 

6 

Airgurus 

Challenger Aero Air 

Helitrend 

Philippines National Grid 

PhilJets Aero Services 

Royal Star Aviation 

4 

4 

4 

4 

4 

4 

Asia Aircraft Overseas 

Beeline Helicopters 

Frabelle Properties 

Gov’t of Philippines - Air Trans Office 

Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

Airspan Corporation 

Executive Heli Jet 

GCA Skyline 

Gov’t of Philippines 

HHIC-Phil 

Masters Flying School 

Philippine Airlines 

Philippine Coast Guard 

Philippine Long Distance Telephone 

TDG Asia 

Trans Pacific 

Vibrant Earth Movers 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 


PHILIPPINES 

15+12+9+8+6+6+4+4+4+4+4 

Top Operator - Fleet Breakdown by Model 

15 

12 

9 8 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 4 

Lionair 



Subic Int’l 

Air Charter 

Asian Aerospace 

Corporation 

National Defense 

Airgurus 

Challenger 

Aero Air 

Helitrend 

PhilJets Aero 

Services 

Philippines 

National Grid 

Royal Star 

Aviation 

Total 

AgustaWestland AW109 1 1 1 3 6 

AW139 2 2 

Airbus 



MD 

AS350 4 2 3 1 1 3 1 2 17 

AS355 2 2 

AS365 1 1 

BO105 6 6 

EC130 2 2 2 6 

EC135 1 1 

EC145 1 1 

Bell 206 1 2 1 1 5 

Bell 412 6 1 7 

Bell 427 1 1 

Bell 429 1 1 

MD 500 2 2 

MD 600 1 1 

MD 900 2 2 

Robinson R44 15 2 1 1 19 

Total 15 12 9 8 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 4 80 


75+57+26+18+11+5+3+3+2 

57 

26 

18 

11 

5 3 3 2 

Corporate 

Multi-Mission 

Charter 


Total 



Bell Helicopter 16 18 6 2 1 43 

Enstrom 1 1 2 

MD 3 6 9 

Robinson 17 5 14 2 5 1 1 45 

Schweizer 2 2 

Sikorsky 1 1 

Total 75 57 26 18 11 5 3 3 2 200 

Private 

Offshore 

Operations 


SAR 

EMS 

70 



200 in Total 

PHILIPPINES 

20 

18 

16 

14 

12 

10 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

1963 

1964 

1965 

1966 

1967 

1968 

1969 

1970 

1971 

1972 

1973 

1974 

1975 

1976 

1977 

1978 

1979 

1980 

1981 

1982 

1983 

1984 

1985 

1986 

1987 

1988 

1989 

1990 

1991 

1992 

1993 

1994 

1995 

1996 

1997 

1998 

1999 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 




PHILIPPINES 


14 in total 

Agusta 

Westland 

-2 

AW139 

AW109 

-1 

-1 

Airbus 


+5 

AC350 

EC130 

1 

2 

2 

Bell 412 

6 

Bell 429 

1 1 

Bell 


+6 

Bell 427 

1 


Bell 407 

Bell 206 

-2 

-1 



MD 900 

2 

MD 

+3 

MD 500 

1 

Robinson 

+1 

R44 

1 

Sikorsky 

+1 

S-76A 

1 

72 


MALAYSIA 

There are 165 civil helicopters in operations in Malaysia, down from 169 last year. 

The fleet is dominated by Airbus Helicopters with a market share of 50% followed 

by AgustaWestland at 20%, and Bell Helicopter, Robinson and Sikorsky trailing with 

12%, 9% and 7% market share respectively. 

Malaysia is the most dominant offshore player in Southeast Asia with nearly 30% 

of the total fleet configured for offshore oil and gas support. These operations are 

carried out by 4 main operators with the largest being MHS Aviation and Weststar 

Aviation, both of which operate large fleets of helicopters off the Northern coast 

of West Malaysia. In Borneo, Awan Inspirasi, and Sazma Aviation are the main 

offshore support service providers. 

With the market being dominated by offshore configured helicopters, many 

operators have been facing severe challenges due to the global oil and gas 

downturn. As a result, some of these operators have been seeking work 

opportunities for their helicopters in other mission categories and even outside of 

Malaysia. 

Medium and heavy helicopters make-up 50% of the Malaysian fleet primarily due 

to the high number of helicopters active in government SAR operations and in the 

offshore fleet. 

Helicopters for corporate use and VIP charter services, represent nearly 30% of the 

Malaysia fleet. 

165 in Total 


INAEC Aviation Corporation 

Dexter Ampong 

General Manager 

INAEC Aviation Corporation 

Southeast Asia is home to some of the most beautiful islands and seas 

anywhere in the world. Often, access to these islands is limited to travel 

by sea or by smaller, more agile aircraft. Throughout the Philippines, in 

particular, there are hard to reach locations that are desirable not only for 

offshore oil and gas companies, but also to the tourism industry and aerial 

photographers. INAEC has made these and other sites in the region more 

accessible to its clients by providing services including contracted offshore 

(OGP) air transport, aircraft operations and management, aircraft maintenance, 

medical evacuation, high-value cargo transport, and charter aircraft 

for banks, aerial photographers, and corporate executives. 

Though it was officially founded on November 9, 1993, INAEC Aviation Corporation 

has roots that reach all the way back to 1932. Dexter Ampong, 

74 


General Manager of INAEC, says, “INAEC goes back to its founding in 1932 as Iloilo-Negros Air 

Express Corp. It was the first Filipino-owned civil airline in the Philippines, founded by sugar and 

shipping magnate Don Eugenio Lopez. After all of its aircraft were destroyed in World War Two, 

it was revived and eventually sold to another group that started Philippines Airlines. From then 

on, the company became the first Filipino airline to go international, offering routes to Hong 

Kong, Bangkok, San Francisco, Shanghai, and India. In 1993, INAEC was reincorporated and is 

now serving the oil and gas industry. Its other main businesses are corporate charter, aircraft 

management, FBO, and aircraft maintenance.” 

Born from the heritage established by the ingenious INAEC, INAEC Aviation Corporation began 

in 1993 with one King Air 200 airplane and one Bell 206L3 helicopter. Today, a wholly owned 

subsidiary of Lopez Inc., a Filipino owned company, its fleet includes three SKA 350 turboprop 

airplanes, two AW139 helicopters, one Bell 429 helicopter, two EC135 helicopters, two AS355 

F2 helicopters, and two AS350 B2 helicopters. 

The company’s growth over the years is obvious just from the expansion of its fleet. “INAEC 

offers reliable aircraft, with a deep pool of aircraft to back up our commitment to clients,” said 

Ampong. Of course, on the road to such success, many challenges will crop up along the way. 

“INAEC is heavily involved in the Oil and Gas industry which is growing, but with the current low 

oil price, potential clients are putting on hold their projects that require helicopter services,” 

noted Ampong. 

INAEC is also driven by the vision of becoming the preferred air charter provider in Asia. With 

this guiding ethos, its concentrated mission is to provide safe, reliable air charter services that 

comply with both local and international standards. These values, handed down as part of the 

Lopez heritage, are a source of great pride to the women and men at INAEC, inspiring great 

dedication in all who work with the company. 

The future looks bright for charter air service businesses in the Philippines and the ASEAN 

region, and even the entire Asia-Pacific. INAEC is committed to the long term potential of the industry, 

and will be keeping a keen eye on developmental opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region 

and beyond. 

ASIA PACIFIC REGION CIVIL HELICOPTER FLEET REPORT – YEAR END 2015 

75

76 



MALAYSIA 

30+0 0+33 87+0 0+83 20+0 0+194+0 0+4 14+0 0+15 14+0 0+11 

30 33 

87 

83 

20 19 

4 

4 

14 15 

14 11 

2014 (169) 





Mil 

Robinson 

Sikorsky 



50+0 0+47 33+0 0+32 28+0 0+31 18+0 0+18 12+0 0+11 12+0 0+11 10+0 0+104+0 0+320 

50 47 

33 32 28 31 

18 18 

12 11 

12 11 

10 10 

2014 (169) 


4 3 2 2 

Multi-Mission 

Corporate 

Charter 



SAR 

EMS 

Private 


11+0 0+11 34+0 0+33 40+0 0+38 68+0 0+66 16+0 0+17 

11 

11 

34 33 

40 

38 

68 66 

16 

17 

2014 (169) 


Piston 

Single 

Light Twin 

Medium 

Heavy 


MALAYSIA 


165 in Total 


165 in Total 

Single 33 (20%) 

Turbine 

93% 

Heavy 17 (10%) 

Piston 11 (7%) 

SAR 10 (6%) 


11 (7%) 


11 (7%) 

Offshore 

Operations 

28% 

EMS 3 (2%) 



47 (28%) 

Charter 

18 (11%) 


Medium 66 (40%) 

28+19+19+11+7+7+6+2+1+G 






50+20+12+9+7+2+G 



19 (12%) 



Mil 4 (2%) 


56+25+12+4+3+G 



165 $1,156M 


(25%) 

Mil (3%) 


(56%) 

78 



154 in Total 

MALAYSIA 


33 (21%) 

Airbus 


83 (54%) 

Bell 


19 (12%) 

Mil 4 (3%) 



29+2+1+1 19+14+11+9+7+7+6+5+2+1+1 14+2+2+1 4 4 5+4+1+1 

AW139 29 

AW109 2 

AW119 1 

AW189 1 

AS355 19 

AS365 14 

EC135 11 

EC225 9 

EC155 7 

EC120 7 

BO105 6 

AS350 5 

AS332L2 3 

EC145 1 

AS332L1 1 

Bell 206 14 

Bell 407 2 

Bell 429 2 

Bell 222 1 

Mi-8 4 

R66 4 

S-76C 5 

S-76C++ 4 

S-76C+ 1 

S-76B 1 


MALAYSIA 




MHS Aviation 

Hornbill Skyways 

Sabah Air Aviation 

Malaysian Police 


Layang-Layang Aero 

Malaysian Fire & Rescue 

Solaire Systems 

Malaysian Maritime 


Aerial Power Lines 

Asia Pacific Flight Training 

Danga Bay 

Helistar 

PLUS Helicopter 

Systematic Aviation Services 

Adtec 

Berjaya Air 

YTL Power 

23+19+11+10+8+7+7+7+7+6+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+2+2+2 

2 

2 

2 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

4 

7 

7 

7 

7 

8 

10 

11 

19 

23 

80 



46+38+22+20+16+14+14+14+14+12 

by Model 

23 

19 

11 10 8 7 7 7 7 6 

MALAYSIA 


Airbus 


Weststar 

Aviation Services 

MHS Aviation 

Hornbill 

Skyways 

Sabah Air 

Aviation 

Malaysian 

Police 

AW109 1 1 2 

AW139 18 3 2 3 26 

AW189 1 1 

AS350 1 1 

EC155 1 1 

EC225 5 3 8 

EC135 5 5 

AS332L1 1 1 

AS332L2 3 3 

AS355 1 3 3 8 1 16 

AS365 1 3 4 

BO105 6 6 

EC145 1 1 

EC120 1 1 

Bell Helicopter Bell 206 5 6 11 

Mil Mi-8 4 4 

Robinson 

R44 5 5 

R66 1 1 

Sikorsky 

S-76C 5 5 

S-76C++ 1 1 1 3 

Total 23 19 11 10 8 7 7 7 7 6 105 


Layang-Layang 

Aero 

Malaysian Fire 

& Rescue 

Malaysian 

Maritime 


Total 


54+32+29+18+11+11+10+3+2 

47 

32 31 

18 

11 11 10 

3 2 

Offshore 

Operations 

Multi-Mission 

Corporate 

Charter 

Total 



Bell Helicopter 8 2 9 19 

Mil 4 4 

Robinson 3 3 8 1 15 


Total 47 32 31 18 11 11 10 3 2 165 



SAR 

EMS 

Private 


MALAYSIA 


165 in Total 

20 

18 

16 

14 

12 

10 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

1973 

1974 

1975 

1976 

1977 

1978 

1979 

1980 

1981 

1982 

1983 

1984 

1985 

1986 

1987 

1988 

1989 

1990 

1991 

1992 

1993 

1994 

1995 

1996 

1997 

1998 

1999 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 



82 


MALAYSIA 


-4 in total 

AW139 

-2 

4 

Agusta 

Westland 

AW189 

1 

EC135 

1 

EC155 

-1 

2 

EC225 

1 

Aitbus 


Bell 


+3 

Robinson 

Sikorsky 

-3 +1 -1 

-4 

AS355 

AS350 

BO105 

AS365 

Bell 206 

R66 

S-76C++ 

-3 

-3 

-2 

-1 

-1 

-1 

1 





84 


INDONESIA 

Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world. It consists of five major islands and about 30 smaller groups. There is 

a total number of over 17,000 islands of which about 6,000 are inhabited, extending over a very large area from East 

to West and between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Indonesia suffers from poor infrastructure in its rural areas and 

significant traffic in its main cities, making it an ideal market for helicopters. 

The Indonesian civil helicopter fleet grew to 199 helicopters in 2015 making it the 8th largest fleet in the Asia-Pacific 

region. Growth was 7.6% versus 2014 with the Indonesian market adding 14 net helicopters in 2015, 69% of which were 

pre-owned and 31% new. 

The market is almost equally shared between Bell Helicopter and Airbus Helicopters — 37% and 36% respectively, with 

the remainder of the fleet then shared between all other manufacturers where Sikorsky and Enstrom have carved out the 

larger shares. By size category, the market is almost equally shared between medium and single-engine helicopters — 

40% and 39% respectively. Medium size helicopters are a mix of Bell Helicopter (40), Airbus Helicopters (18) and Sikorsky 

(16), and the single-engine category is a mix of Bell Helicopter (32) and Airbus Helicopters (21). The medium size category 

grew 11.1% in 2015, and the single-engine category grew 10%. 

Growth in 2015 was highest for Airbus Helicopters at 7.5% and Bell Helicopter with 5.7%, with most of the added 

helicopters being put into corporate service (+20% for 2015), offshore operations (+19.2%) and multi-mission applications 

(+9.5%). Multi-mission is the largest application for helicopters in Indonesia with 41% of the fleet being utilised for these 

types of roles, which typically entail supporting remote locations and mountainous regions that require frequent personnel 

and equipment transport. This need is being driven by its resources-based industries mainly involved in coal and tin 

mining, timber, fishing and agriculture. The next largest missions are law enforcement (17%), offshore (16%) and corporate 

roles (9%). 

Three of the top 4 operators in Indonesia are state owned. The largest is the National Police with a fleet of single and light 

twin helicopters including the Airbus Helicopters BO105s and Enstrom EN480s — 33 helicopters in total. The 2nd largest 

is Pelita Air Services with a fleet of 16 helicopters. Pelita was formed when 2 stated owned oil companies merged, and 

its primary mission is to support the oil and gas industry in Indonesia. Pelita’s fleet is primarily medium size helicopters — 

S-76s and Bell 412/430s. The 4th largest is the National Search & Rescue Agency with a mixed Airbus Helicopters fleet 

of light twins and mediums. The sole private operator in the Top 4 is Travira Air. Operating since 1983, Travira Air serves 

multinational oil, gas and mining corporations as well as medical service companies with operational bases in Balikpapan, 

Denpasar, and Matak. Its fleet of 16 helicopters included 7 S-76s, 5 Bell Helicopter, 2 Airbus Helicopters and 2 AW139s. 

One of the biggest issues facing Indonesian operators in 2016 are the new requirements introduced in the latter half of 

2015 that: i) in-operation helicopters are not allowed to be older than 30 years and ii) new imported helicopters are not 

allowed to be older than 10 years. The 30 year limitation alone effects 55 helicopters in the Indonesian fleet – so an 

enormous 28% of the fleet including BO105s, Bell 206s, Bell 212s, and S-76As. The Top 4 operators will all be impacted, 

especially the National Police and National Search & Rescue Agency. 

199 in Total 


INDONESIA 



0+7 5+00+72 67+00+74 70+00+18 18+00+3 2+00+4 4+00+3 3+0 0+2 1+0015 

67 

72 

70 74 

18 18 

5 7 

2 3 4 4 3 3 1 2 

2014 (185) 


15 16 



Enstrom 

Kamov 

MD 

Mil 

Robinson 

Sikorsky 


2014 (185) 


Multi-Mission 

74+0 0+81 32+0 0+33 26+0 0+31 15+0 0+18 17+0 0+15 13+0 0+135+0 0+52+0 0+210 

81 

74 

32 33 26 31 

15 18 

17 15 

13 13 

5 

5 

2 2 1 1 



Corporate 

Charter 

SAR 

EMS 

Private 



2014 (185) 


1+0 0+1 70+0 0+77 38+0 0+37 72+0 0+804+0 

0+4 

1 

1 

70 77 80 

72 

38 37 

4 

4 

Piston 

Single 

Light Twin 

Medium 

Heavy 

86 



199 in Total 


199 in Total 

INDONESIA 


Turbine 

99% 

Heavy 4 (2%) 

Piston 1 

SAR 13 (6%) 

Charter 

15 (8%) 

Corporate 

18 (9%) 

Multi-Mission 

41% 

EMS 5 (2%) 


Flight Training 1 

Offshore 

Operations 

31 (16%) 

Single 77 (39%) 

Medium 80 (40%) 

41+17+16+9+8+6+2+1+0+G 






MD 4 (2%) 

36+37+9+8+4+2+2+1+1+G 



Enstrom 

18 (9%) 


72 (36%) 

Kamov 3 (2%) 

Mil 3 (1%) 



74 (37%) 

Mil (2%) 

Sikorsky 

(19%) 

40+31+19+5+2+1+1+1+G 

AugustaWestland (5%) 

199 $1,075M 


Kamov (1%) 

Enstrom (1%) 

Others (1%) 


(40%) 

Note: The market value of Robinson’s replacement cost is less than 1%. 


INDONESIA 


198 in Total 


7 (4%) 

Airbus 


72 (36%) 


74 (37%) 


Kamov 3 (2%) 

MD 4 (2%) 

Mil 3 (2%) 



3+3+130+14+8+5+4+3+3+2+2+1 22+18+14+8+6+4+2 18+3+4+3+1 8+5+2+1 

AW109 3 

AW139 3 

AW119 1 

BO105 30 

AS350 14 

AS365 8 

EC155 5 

EC130 4 

BK117 3 

SA315 3 

EC145 2 

EC135 2 

AS332C 

1 

Bell 412 22 

Bell 206 18 

Bell 407 14 

Bell 429 8 

Bell 212 6 

Bell 430 4 

Bell 427 2 


KA-32 3 

MD 500 4 

Mi-8 3 

R66 1 

S-76C++ 8 

S-76A 5 

S-76C 2 

S-76A+ 1 

88 




INDONESIA 


Travira Air 


National SAR 

Airfast Indonesia 

Air Transport Service 

Helimission 

National Utility Helicopters 

Derazona Air 

Intan Angkasa 

Air Pacific Utama 

Gatari Air Service 

Heli SGI 

Hevilift 

Indonesia Air 

Air Born 

Gudang Garam 

Seacons Trading 

Transwisata Prima 


Whitesky Aviation 

Cheysia Aurelia 

Dimonim Air 

Dominair 

Eastindo Air 

Ersa Eastern 

Jhonlin Air 

Nusantara Buana Air 

Pegasus Air Services 

Penerbangan Angkasa Semesta 

Sabang Merauke Raya Air Charter 

Sampoerna Air 

Susi Air 

33+16+16+10+8+6+6+6+5+5+4+4+4+4+4+3+3+3+3+3+3+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

5 

4 

4 

4 

4 

4 

6 

6 

6 

5 

8 

10 

16 

16 

33 



33+16+16+10+8+6+6+6+5+5 

by Model 

INDONESIA 

33 

16 16 

10 8 6 6 6 5 

5 


Travira Air 


National SAR 


AS350 1 2 1 1 5 

AS365 3 2 5 

Airbus 

BO105 10 3 8 6 27 

Helicopters EC130 2 2 

EC145 1 1 

SA315 1 1 

Bell 206 2 5 2 2 11 

Bell 212 1 1 

Bell Helicopter Bell 412 4 3 3 4 2 16 

Bell 429 1 1 

Bell 430 3 3 

MD MD 500 2 2 

Enstrom EN480 18 18 

Mil Mi-8 2 2 

S-76A 2 3 5 

Sikorsky 

S-76A+ 1 1 

S-76C 2 2 

S-76C++ 2 4 6 

Total 33 16 16 10 8 6 6 6 5 5 111 

Airfast Indonesia 

Air Transport 

Service 

Helimission 

National Utility 


Derazona Air 

Intan Angkasa 

Total 


81+33+31+18+15+13+5+2+1 

33 31 

18 15 13 

5 2 1 

Multi-Mission 


Offshore 

Operations 

Corporate 



Bell Helicopter 45 2 8 8 4 2 3 1 1 74 

Enstrom 18 18 

Kamov 3 3 

MD 4 4 

Mil 3 3 


Sikorsky 16 16 

Total 81 33 31 18 15 13 5 2 1 199 

Charter 

SAR 

EMS 

Private 


Total 

90 



199 in Total 

INDONESIA 

16 

14 

12 

10 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

1969 

1970 

1971 

1972 

1973 

1974 

1975 

1976 

1977 

1978 

1979 

1980 

1981 

1982 

1983 

1984 

1985 

1986 

1987 

1988 

1989 

1990 

1991 

1992 

1993 

1994 

1995 

1996 

1997 

1998 

1999 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 




INDONESIA 

Agusta 

Westland 

+2 

AW139 

1 1 

AS350 

1 

3 

Airbus 


+5 

AS365 

2 

EC135 

-1 

Bell 429 

2 

Bell 


+4 

Bell 206 

2 




Bell 412 

-1 

1 

Kamov 

+1 

KA-32 

1 

Robinson 

+1 

R66 

1 

Sikorsky 

+1 

S-76C++ 

1 

92 


MYANMAR 

Hopes for economic and political reforms led to continued investments and 

development in Mynamar in 2015, despite many taking a “wait and see” attitude 

in regards to what changes the new government may bring. Interests toward 

Myanmar’s helicopter industry have been aimed primarily at offshore support, 

but also towards the use of helicopters for corporate and utility operations. 

Myanmar’s year end 2015 fleet consisted of only 13 helicopters primarily serving 

the offshore oil and gas industry. This was unchanged compared to 2014. 

In 2014, Myanmar concluded a tender for 50 offshore blocks opening up its gulf 

to further oil and gas exploration. Some of those blocks have become active in 

2015, but several have decided to defer operations until the downturn in the oil 

and gas industry shows signs of recovery. 

13 in Total 

There is only one civil operator in Myanmar using a local AOC for multi-mission 

activity in-country. The rest of the fleet are foreign register helicopters providing 

offshore support. 

Breakdown by OEM & Model 

13 in Total 

5 

3 

2 

1 

1 1 

AW139 

AS350 

AS365 

S-76C 

S-76C+ S-76C++ 

AgustaWestland Airbus Helicopters Sikorsky Total 

Air Myanmar 1 2 3 

CNOOC 1 1 

Heli-Union 1 4 5 

Hevilift 3 3 

Private 1 1 

Total 1 5 7 13 


LAOS 

There are six helicopters active in Laos which are all used for multi-mission 

utility operations. The Airbus Helicopters AS350 is the model of choice for Lao 

Westcoast, which is the primary Lao civil helicopter operator performing utility 

work and providing charter services. There is also one Mil-8 helicopter used by 

Lao Airlines for local charter services. 

6 in Total 

CAMBODIA 

As of year-end 2015, there were 8 helicopters active in Cambodia which were 

used for multi-mission utility operations, charter and VIP transport. Cambodia’s 

civil helicopters are all light single and twin engine Airbus Helicopters. 

8 in Total 

94 


VIETNAM 

Vietnam National Helicopter Corporation, through its subsidiaries Southern 

Vietnam Helicopter (VNH South) and Northern Vietnam Helicopter (VNH North) 

operates a fleet of 27 helicopters where with the primary mission is transporting 

crew and equipment to offshore locations. The fleet is dominated by Airbus 

Helicopters with a market share of nearly 60%, all of which are operated by the 

Vietnam Helicopter Corporation. 

In addition to its main services, Vietnam Helicopter Corporation also provides 

helicopter flight services for other missions such as aerial tours, medical 

evacuation, SAR, cargo sling operations and transportation services for top 

government officials. 67% of the helicopters operating in Vietnam are in the 

heavy category. This high percentage compared to other countries in the Asia 

Pacific region is due to the fact that offshore support is the primary mission for 

Vietnam’s helicopters. This mission and performance requirement makes heavy 

helicopters a necessity. 

27 in Total 

Breakdown by Model 

27 in Total 

10 

4 4 4 

1 

2 2 

AS332L2 

EC120 

EC130 

EC155 

EC225 

Cabri G2 

Mi-8 


BRUNEI 

Brunei’s helicopter fleet is dedicated to supporting offshore activity taking place 

off the western coast of Borneo. These services are provided by Brunei Shell 

Petroleum using Sikorsky and AgustaWestland helicopters. Brunei Shell is the 

only civil operator that owns, operates and maintains helicopters in the Kingdom 

of Brunei. In 2015 Brunei established its own SAR operation utilising a Sikorsky 

S-92 helicopter to further support offshore activities in the region. 

6 in Total 

SINGAPORE 

Despite Singapore being a renowned aviation hub with advanced aviation 

support infrastructure and several OEMs with established maintenance facilities, 

helicopters used for civil operations is negligible. This is due to its small 

landmass, limited airspace and cross-border restrictions. There is only one civil 

helicopter based in Singapore, operated by Heli-Services and it is used for aerial 

tours and surveys. SAR operations are carried out by the Singapore Air Force 

using a fleet of Super-Puma helicopters. 

1 in Total 

96 



OCEANIA 

PAPUA NEW GUINEA 

Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) geography is diverse and in places extremely rugged with 

high mountains, rivers, active volcanoes and covered with tropical rainforests. Its 

main industries driving the economy are mining for copper, gold, and crude oil, which 

account for a majority of the country’s export earnings. Coffee, tea, rubber and cocoa 

fields as well as fishing and timber are also some of the major industries in Papua 

New Guinea. Many of these activities are in remote, often difficult-to-reach locations. 

With no sufficient land transport infrastructure, these industries rely heavily on the 

use of helicopters to support their operations. However, the aviation infrastructure 

also remains underdeveloped with poor communication and a lack of navigation aids. 

A helicopter in the PNG fleet could generally be summarized as a pre-owned, singleengine 

turbine from Bell Helicopter or Airbus Helicopters engaged in multi-mission 

applications with one of the top 4 operators in the country: 

• There are no new helicopters in service in PNG. They are all at least 6 - 7 years 

old with the majority of the fleet 25 to 35 years old. 

• The most popular model types are the Bell 206 / 212 / 407 and AS350. Most 

of them are used for general transport, aerial surveys, and seismic operations. 

• 83% of the fleet is utilised in a multi-mission role which include mining, industrial 

support, heavy sling work, cargo and personnel transport, geological exploration, 

aerial surveying, power-line construction, and oil and gas support for the onshore 

oil fields. 

• The top 4 operators — Pacific Helicopters, Hevilift, Hei Niugini & Helifix — operate 

66% of the fleet. 

The PNG fleet increased by a net 9 helicopters through 2015, growing 9% to a net 

total fleet of 114 aircraft by year end. The market is split between Bell Helicopter and 

Airbus Helicopters at 61% / 30% respectively, with Boeing, Russian Helicopters, and 

Sikorsky making up the rest. Whereas singles dominate the market (53%), medium 

sized helicopters are the next biggest category with 33%, of which Bell 212s and 

BK117s are the typical model types. 

114 in Total 

98 




0+34 31+0 0+70 65+0 0+8 8+0 0+0 2+0 0+10 8+0 0+2 0+0 

31 34 

65 

70 

4 

4 4 5 

1 

1 

2014 (105) 





Kamov 

Mil 

Sikorsky 


2014 (105) 


88+0 0+936+0 0+64+0 0+53+0 0+53+0 0+31+0 

0+1 

88 

94 

6 6 4 5 3 5 3 3 1 1 

Multi-Mission 


Charter 

Corporate 

Private 

EMS 


2014 (105) 


56+0 0+604+0 0+7 37+0 0+388+0 

0+9 

56 60 

37 38 

4 7 8 9 

Single 

Light Twin 

Medium 

Heavy 




114 in Total 


114 in Total 

Heavy 9 (8%) 

53+33+8+6+G 

Turbine 

100% 


Medium 38 (33%) Single 60 (53%) 

82+6+4+4+3+1+G 

Charter 5 (4%) Private 3 (3%) 



6 (5%) 

Multi-Mission 

83% 

EMS 1 (1%) 






61+30+4+4+1+G 

Mil 5 (4%) 

Airbus 


34 (30%) 



70 (61%) 

Boeing 

Rotocraft 

(13%) 

45+33+13+7+2+G 

Mil (7%) Sikorsky (2%) 

114 $555M 

Airbus 


(33%) 


(45%) 

100 


Breakdown by Helicopter Model 

114 in Total 


Airbus 


34 (30%) 

Bell 


70 (61%) 

AS350 16 

16+11+6+1 

BK117 11 

BO105 6 

SA315 1 

Bell 206 22 

22+21+16+5+3+2+1 

Bell 407 21 

Bell 212 16 

Bell 412 5 

Bell 214 3 

Bell 205 2 

Bell 427 1 

Boeing 

Rotocraft 

4 (4%) 

BV234 

BV107 

1 

3 

Mil 5 (4%) 

Mi-8 

5 


S-76A 

1 




52+46+30+22+14+14+8+6+6+4+4 

by Model 

26 

23 

15 

11 

7 7 4 3 3 2 2 2 

Airbus 


Bell 


Boeing 

Rotocraft 

Pacific 


Hevilift 

Heli Niugini 

Heliflix 

Operations 

Manolos 

Aviation 

Niugini 


AS350 11 1 12 

BK117 4 4 1 9 

BO105 5 5 

SA315 1 1 

Bell 205 2 2 

Bell 206 4 6 2 3 3 1 2 21 

Bell 212 6 6 2 1 15 

Bell 214 3 3 

Bell 407 4 4 6 3 3 1 21 

Bell 412 5 5 

Bell 427 1 1 

BV107 1 1 

BV234 3 3 

Mil Mi-8 2 3 5 

Sikorsky S-76A 1 1 

Total 26 23 15 11 7 7 4 3 3 2 2 2 105 

Airlines PNG 

Heli Solutions 

McDermott 

Aviation 

Pacific Rim 

Air Services 

Southwest Air 

Summer Institute 

of Linguistics 

Total 


93+7+5+5+3+1 

94 

6 5 5 3 1 

Multi-Mission 

Offshore 

Operations 

Charter 

Corporate 

Private 

EMS 

Total 

Airbus Helicopters 25 3 1 1 3 1 34 

Bell Helicopter 60 3 3 4 70 

Boeing Rotocraft 4 4 

Mil 5 5 

Sikorsky 1 1 

Total 94 6 5 5 3 1 114 

102 



114 in Total 


12 

10 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

1963 

1964 

1965 

1966 

1967 

1968 

1969 

1970 

1971 

1972 

1973 

1974 

1975 

1976 

1977 

1978 

1979 

1980 

1981 

1982 

1983 

1984 

1985 

1986 

1987 

1988 

1989 

1990 

1991 

1992 

1993 

1994 

1995 

1996 

1997 

1998 

1999 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 






9 in total 

BO105 

3 

Airbus 


+3 

AS350 

1 

BK117 

-1 

Bell 212 

2 

Bell 


+5 

Bell 206 

2 



Bell 407 

1 

Kamov 

-1 

KA-32 

-1 

Mil 

+1 

Mi-8 

1 

Sikorsky 

+1 

S-76A 

1 

104 


AUSTRALIA 

Australia is the single largest helicopter market in the Asia Pacific region with 

almost 2,100 helicopters representing a 3rd of the total Asia Pacific fleet. Having 

received its first helicopter in 1948, it is a mature market and has had recently 

more than two decades of steady growth. Australia’s civil helicopter fleet grew 

however at just a 3% in 2015. This slowdown was the result of a number of factors 

including the government’s financial problems, the collapse of the Australian dollar, 

the end of the mineral export boom, lower oil prices, and general global financial 

difficulties. No improvement is expected in 2016 with growth to remain flat. 

Australia has the largest fleet in the Asia Pacific region of Robinsons (1,061), Bell 

Helicopter (447) and a significant fleet of Airbus Helicopters (298). Australia’s fleet 

of Robinsons is the 2nd largest in the world and the aircraft is used for a diverse 

range of multi-mission applications including flight training, herd mustering, traffic 

reporting, police work, emergency response and evacuations, search and rescue 

operations, fire ignition and suppression, underslung loads and aerial mapping, 

aerial spraying, powerline and pipeline survey, filming and photography, charter, 

and tourism. 

Given the predominance of Robinsons, pistons and single-engine helicopters 

represent 86% of the total Australian market and 83% of the helicopter are used in 

either multi-mission, corporate, or private roles. The most popular turbine models 

are the Bell 206, 412 and Airbus Helicopters AS350. 

The country has a staggering 1,017 operators which are characterized by either 

the largest in Australia – North Australia Helicopters – who’s fleet consist of 43 

helicopters, of which 37 are Robinsons or, at the other end of the market sizewise, 

characterized by Lloyd Helicopters or Bristol Helicopters, which have mostly 

medium and heavy size helicopters such as the AW139s, EC225s, S-76s, and 92s. 

Examining the net fleet additions in 2015, as one would expect in a mature market, 

additions were split almost 50/50 between new aircraft and pre-owned aircraft 

where the majority of new deliveries were either AW139 (Air Ambulance / EMS 

version) or Robinson R22s/44s. The majority of pre-owned deliveries were either 

Bell 205/206s or again the Robinson R22s/44s. 



AUSTRALIA 




0+5 4+00+27 27+00+9 8+00+41 40+00+2 2+00+1 1+00+1 1+00+3 3+00+96 93+00+6 5+00+4 4+00+3 

2+0 

40 48 

299298 

85 90 

438447 

18 18 4 4 7 7 24 27 

2014 (2,028) 

1,023 1,061 2015 (2,094) 

53 56 35 35 2 3 

Amateur-Built Aircraft 


Enstrom 

Guimbal 


MD 

Robinson 

Schweizer 

Sikorsky 

Others 


97+0 0+100 50+0 0+52 6+0 0+5 17+0 0+18 4+0 0+4 

1,2381,281 

507 525 

61 

56 

177 188 

45 

44 

2014 (2,028) 

2015 (2,094) 

Piston 

Single 

Light Twin 

Medium 

Heavy 

106 






AUSTRALIA 

Heavy 44 (2%) 


Medium 188 (9%) 

Turbine 

39% 

39+23+21+7+4+2+2+1+1+G 

EMS 50 (2%) 

Offshore 

Operations 81 (4%) 

Flight 

Training 

154 (7%) 

Multi-Mission 

39% 

SAR 36 (2%) 




Private 483 (23%) 

Single 525 (25%) Piston 1,281 (61%) 







AgustaWestland (9%) Robinson (8%) 


Amateur-Built Aircraft 

90 (4%) 

Airbus 


298 (14%) 

51+21+14+4+3+2+2+2+1+G 


45+24+12+9+8+1+1+G 

MD 27 (1%) 


2,094 $3,923M 

MD (1%) 

Others (1%) 


Robinson 

1,061 (51%) 

Airbus Helicopters (45%) 


Note: The market share of Amateur-Built Aircraft and Schweizer’s 

replacement cost are both less than 1%. 


1Gazelle 1 HT MK 2 

AUSTRALIA 


813 in Total 

Aérospatiale 

1 

24+18+5+1 50+31+26+22+20+15+13+11+8+7+6+3+15+4+265+36+23+13+10+9+8+4+3+2+1+1+1 319+4+2+1+12410+6+4+4+4+4+2+1 

AgustaWestland AW139 24 

48 (6%) 

AW109 18 

AW119 5 

AW169 1 

Airbus Helicopters AS350 135 

298 (37%) 

EC120 31 

BK117 26 

EC130 22 

EC225 20 

AS355 15 

BO105 13 

AS365 11 

AS332L1 

8 

EC135 

7 

AS332L 6 

EC145 3 

EC155 1 

Amateur-Built Helicycle 5 

Aircraft 11 (1%) Hummingbird 4 

Rotorway Jetexec 2 


366 (45%) 

Enstrom 3 

MD 27 (3%) 



Bell 206 255 

Bell 412 36 

Bell 205 23 

Bell 212 13 

Bell 214 10 

Bell 407 9 

Bell 222 8 

Bell 204 4 

Bell 429 3 

Bell AH-1 2 

Bell 430 1 

Bell 427 1 

Bell 230 1 


MD 500 19 

MD 520 4 

MD 600 2 

MD 530 1 

MD 900 1 

R66 24 

S-92 10 

S-76C 6 

S-76A++ 4 

S-76A+ 4 

S-76A 4 

S-76C++ 4 

S-76B 2 

S-58 1 

108 



Top 60 – Out of 1,017 Operators (6 or more helicopters) 

AUSTRALIA 

North Australian Helicopters 


Cloncurry Mustering 

McDermott Aviation 

Bristow Helicopters Australia 

Australian Helicopters 

Rotorwest 

Professional Helicopter Services 

Heliflite 

Heli-Muster (NT) 

Helidoc 

Jayrow Helicopters 

Choppair Helicopters 

Bankstown Helicopters 

Becker Helicopters 

Helicopter Film Services 

Microflite 

CareFlight Group 

Aeropower 

Barkly Helicopters 

Helicopter Resources 

Kestrel Aviation College 

Whitsunday Air Services 

Aviation Utilities 

Nautilus Aviation Heli 

CHC Helicopters (Australia) 

GBR Helicopters 

Nautilus Aviation 

Top End Mustering 

Great Barrier Reef Helicopters 

Heliservices Queensland 

Outback Helicopter Rental NT 

Pearl Coast Helicopters 

Tasmanian Helicopters 

Webb Helicopters 

Williambury Helicopters 

43+33+32+32+27+25+22+20+19+18+18+17+16+15+15+14+14+13+12+12+12+12+12+11+11+10+10+10+9+8+8+8+8+8+8+8 

7+7+7+7+7+7+7+6+6+6+6+6+6+6+6+6+6+6+6+6+6+6+6+6 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

10 

10 

10 

9 

11 

11 

12 

12 

12 

12 

12 

13 

14 

14 

15 

15 

17 

16 

18 

18 

19 

20 

22 

25 

27 

32 

32 

33 

Air Precision 

Bond Helicopters Australia 

Heli-Serv 

Rotor Force Australia 

Skyplan Australia 

Sydney Helicopters 

The Helicopter Group 

Arafura Helicopters 

Commercial Helicopters (Aust) 

Esso Australia Resources 

Fisher-Private 

Glenample Air 

Gold Coast Helitours 

Heli Central 

Helifarm 

Helistar Aviation 

Heysen Gums 

Jetpoint 

North Star Pastoral 

Northshore Holdings (NT) 

State of New South Wales 

Stirling Helicopter Services 

Stock-Air Heliworks 

Whitsunday Helicopter Group 

43 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 


AUSTRALIA 

Top Operators Fleet by Model 

43+33+32+32+27+25+22+20+19+18+18 

33 32 32 

27 25 22 20 19 18 18 

North Australian 



Cloncurry 

Mustering 

McDermoott 

Aviation 

Bristow Helicopters 

Australia 

Total 

AgustaWestland AW139 6 5 5 16 

AS350 4 4 2 10 

EC225 5 9 14 

EC135 1 1 

AS332L 2 3 5 

AS332L1 2 1 3 

Airbus 

AS355 4 1 5 


AS365 1 4 5 

BK117 1 2 1 4 

BO105 7 7 

EC130 1 1 

EC145 2 2 

Bell 


Australian 


Bell 204 1 1 

Bell 205 4 4 

Bell 206 5 3 1 8 5 1 23 

Bell 214 10 10 

Bell 412 7 10 17 

Bell 47 1 6 7 

MD MD 500 2 2 

R22 23 28 1 4 10 13 16 95 

Robinson R44 14 4 1 4 7 5 2 37 

R66 1 1 

Schweizer S-300 4 4 

S-76A+ 4 4 

S-76A++ 1 1 

Sikorsky S-76C++ 4 4 

S-92 2 4 6 

Total 43 33 32 32 27 25 22 20 19 18 18 289 

Rotorwest 

Professional 

Helicopter Services 

Heliflite 

Helidoc 

Heli-Muster (NT) 

110 



AUSTRALIA 

Multi-Mission 

Private 

Corporate 

Flight Traning 

81+48+44+15+8+5+4+3+1 

810 

483 443 

154 

81 50 36 28 9 

Offshore 

Operations 

EMS 

SAR 

Charter 

Law 

Enforcement 

Total 

AgustaWestland 5 12 11 13 2 5 48 

Airbus Helicopters 168 7 36 5 40 12 15 8 7 298 

Amateur-Built Aircraft 1 78 11 90 

Bell Helicopter 271 44 52 29 4 23 11 11 2 447 

Enstrom 1 13 4 18 

Guimbal 1 1 2 4 

Hiller Aircraft 3 1 1 2 7 

MD 16 8 1 2 27 

Robinson 335 308 313 102 1 2 1,061 

Schweizer 7 31 3 15 56 

Sikorsky 1 1 26 7 35 

Others 1 1 1 3 

Total 810 483 443 154 81 50 36 28 9 2,094 



160 

140 

120 

100 

80 

60 

40 

20 

0 

1952 

1953 

1954 

1955 

1956 

1957 

1958 

1959 

1960 

1961 

1962 

1963 

1964 

1965 

1966 

1967 

1968 

1969 

1970 

1971 

1972 

1973 

1974 

1975 

1976 

1977 

1978 

1979 

1980 

1981 

1982 

1983 

1984 

1985 

1986 

1987 

1988 

1989 

1990 

1991 

1992 

1993 

1994 

1995 

1996 

1997 

1998 

1999 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 



AUSTRALIA 



Amateur-Built Aircraft 5 (11%) 




Aéropastiale 1 (2%) 



MD 3 (7%) 


Deductions 

48+26+7+7+4+4+4+G 

58+21+11+8+2+G 

38+22+18+7+7+2+2+2+2+G 




Airbus Helicopters 8 (18%) Bell Helicopter 10 (22%) 

Bell Helicopter 2 (7%) Enstrom 1 (4%) 


+48 

+45 




-27 


112 


AUSTRALIA 


66 in total 

Aérospatiale 

Gazelle 

+1 

Gazelle HT MK2 

1 

AgustaWestlnd 

+8 

AW139 

AW169 

AW109 

-2 

1 

9 

Airbus 


-1 

EC130 

EC225 

AS350 

BK117 

EC120 

AS355 

BO105 

EC155 

EC135 

EC145 

AS332L 

-3 

-1 

-1 

-2 

-1 

-1 

-2 

-2 

2 

1 

2 

1 

1 

1 

2 

2 

Amateur-Built 

Aircraft 

MHP Y4P 

Helicycle 

Mosquito XET 

Rotorway Exec 162 

CH-7 

+5 

-1 

2 

1 

1 

1 

1 




Bell 


+9 

Bell 206 

Bell 205 

Bell 412 

Bell 429 

Bell 407 

Bell 212 

-1 

-1 

2 

1 

1 

7 

Enstrom 



-1 

1 

MD 

+3 

MD600 

MD500 

1 

2 

Robinson 

Sikorsky Schweier 

+3 +38 

R22 

R44 

R66 

S-300 

S-76A 

-7 

-1 

1 

1 

3 

11 

12 

16 5 


NEW ZEALAND 

New Zealand is the 2nd largest helicopter market in the Asia Pacific region 

and grew a healthy 7% in 2015 adding net 53 helicopters. The market is 

dominated by 4 manufacturers: Robinson (37%), Airbus Helicopters (26%), 

MD Helicopters (12%) and Bell Helicopter (12%). The 4 manufacturers 

combined represent 87% of the total New Zealand fleet. 

Uniquely, New Zealand has the largest fleet of MD Helicopters in the Asia 

Pacific region — 105 aircraft, representing 42% of the total Asia Pacific MD 

fleet. 87% of these 105 MD Helicopters are used in multi-mission work, with 

the fleet scattered over a significant numbers of operators where the largest, 

for instance, has only 5 MD500s. 

Uniquely as well, the fleet in New Zealand is 90% made up of either pistons 

or singles with 79% engaged in either multi-mission, private, or corporate 

work. The most popular turbine helicopters are the AS350, MD500 and Bell 

206. 

Given the dominance of multi-mission applications in New Zealand where a 

cost-conscious approach to sourcing equipment is needed, a very strong preowned 

market exists. In 2015, 81% of the fleet additions were pre-owned 

typically from either Airbus Helicopters or Robinsons, and therefore typically 

either an AS350 or R22/44. 

841 in Total 

114 



NEW ZEALAND 

0+3+0+58 67+0+28 30+0+47+0+3+0+30 32+0+93 94+0+18 18+0+2+0+6+0 

222 

193 

92 100 

9 9 11 21 

7 

7 

100 105 

307308 

59 59 

4 4 6 6 

2014 (788) 





Guimbal 


MD 

Robinson 

Schweizer 

Sikorsky 

Others 


38+0 0+39 32+0 0+35 3+0 0+3 4+0 0+5 1+0 0+1 

387 398 

327 358 

33 

35 

40 49 1 1 

2014 (788) 


Piston 

Single 

Light Twin 

Medium 

Heavy 


NEW ZEALAND 


841 in Total 


841 in Total 

Turbine 

53% 

49+16+14+10+5+3+2+1+G 

Multi-Mission 

49% 

Medium 49 (6%) 


Heavy 1 



82 (10%) 

SAR 25 (3%) 


EMS 10 (1%) 

Corporate 

118 (14%) 

Single 358 (43%) 

Piston 398 (47%) 

Private 131 (16%) 





37+26+12+12+7+3+2+1+G 



MD 105 (12%) 


222 (26%) 

Guimbal 21 (3%) 



9 (1%) 

Robinson 

308 (37%) 

MD (9%) 

59+13+9+7+5+4+2+1+G 


(5%) 

Robinson (7%) 

841 $1,381M 

Bell 

Helicopter (13%) 

Others (4%) 

Schweizer (2%) 

Guimbal (1%) 

Airbus Helicopters (59%) 

116 



443 in Total 

NEW ZEALAND 


9 (2%) 

Airbus 


222 (50%) 

Bell 


94 (21%) 

Fairchild Hiller 

4 (1%) 

MD 105 (24%) 

Mil 1 

Robinson 

5 (1%) 

3+3+2+160+27+20+19+10+7+3+2+1+145+7++3+2+2+1+14 44+20+5+1+1 1 5 

AW109 3 

AW139 3 

AW169 2 

AW119 1 

AS350 132 

BK117 27 

EC130 20 

AS355 19 

EC120 10 

BO105 7 

EC135 3 

SA315 2 

AS332L1 1 

EC145 1 

Bell 206 78 

Bell 205 7 

Bell 429 3 

Bell 222 2 

Bell 427 2 

Bell 407 1 

Bell 212 1 

FH-1100 4 

MD 500 78 

MD 520 20 

MD 530 5 

MD 900 1 

MD 600 1 

Mi-34 

R66 

3Sikorsky 3 (1%) S-76A 

1 

3 

5 


NEW ZEALAND 



Heliflite Pacific 

Rotor Work 

Helicopters Otago 

HNZ Global 

Garden City Helicopters 

The Helicopter Line 

Advanced Flight 

Western Pacific Helicopters 

Heli Resources 

Precision Helicopters 

Fox Glacier Helicopter Services 

Helilink 

Inflite Charters 

Wanaka Helicopters 

Hele-Tranz 

Helipro 

North Shore Helicopters 

Search & Rescue Services 

Ardmore Helicopters 

Way to Go Heliservices 

Airwork (NZ) 

Alpine Helicopters 

Christchurch Helicopters 

Comerford Bryan James 

Gisborne Helicopters 

High Country Helicopters 

Rick Lucas Helicopters 

Southern Lakes Helicopters 

Aspiring Helicopters 

Beck Helicopters 

Central South Island Helicopters 

Heliops Southland 

Outback Helicopters 

Over The Top 

Ravensdown Aerowork 

Reid Helicopters Nelson 

Skywork Helicopters 

18 

18+18+17+17+15+15+14+13+10+10+9+9+9+9+8+8+8+8+7+7+6+6+6+6+6+6+6+6+5+5+5+5+5+5+5+5+5 

6 

6 

6 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

7 

7 

8 

8 

8 

8 

10 

10 

9 

9 

9 

9 

15 

14 

13 

15 

17 

18 

17 

118 



18+18+17+16+15+15+14+13+10+10 

NEW ZEALAND 

17 17 15 15 14 13 10 10 

Heliflite 

Pacific 

Rotor Work 


Otago 

HNZ Global 

Total 


AW139 3 3 

Airbus 



Garden City 


AS350 1 12 4 15 1 1 34 

EC135 1 1 

AS355 1 1 

BK117 5 4 1 10 

EC120 1 1 

EC130 1 7 1 9 

EC145 1 1 

Bell 205 3 3 

Bell 206 2 10 3 2 17 

Bell 429 3 3 

Bell 47 1 1 

Guimbal Cabri G2 1 1 

MD MD 500 5 5 

R22 14 2 4 1 21 

Robinson 

R44 2 7 1 13 2 25 

Schweizer S-300 2 8 10 

Total 18 18 17 17 15 15 14 13 10 10 147 

The Helicopter 

Line 

Advanced Flight 

Western Pacific 


Heli Resources 

Precision 



Multi-Mission 

Private 

Corporate 


Charter 

SAR 

82+26+24+17+9+5+4+2 

413 

131 118 

82 

45 25 17 10 

Offshore 

Operations 

EMS 

Total 



Bell Helicopter 71 3 12 4 6 2 1 1 100 

Brantly 1 1 

Fairchild Hiller 3 1 4 

Guimbal 2 2 5 11 1 21 

Hiller Aircraft 2 3 2 7 

MD 91 2 9 1 1 1 105 

Mil 1 1 

Robinson 96 84 74 51 1 2 308 

Schweizer 20 27 3 9 59 


Total 413 131 118 82 45 25 17 10 841 


NEW ZEALAND 


841 in Total 

18 

16 

14 

12 

10 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

1956 

1957 

1958 

1959 

1960 

1961 

1962 

1963 

1964 

1965 

1966 

1967 

1968 

1969 

1970 

1971 

1972 

1973 

1974 

1975 

1976 

1977 

1978 

1979 

1980 

1981 

1982 

1983 

1984 

1985 

1986 

1987 

1988 

1989 

1990 

1991 

1992 

1993 

1994 

1995 

1996 

1997 

1998 

1999 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 



120 


NEW ZEALAND 




52+15+15+10+4+2+2+G 

67+25+8+G 

+12 




MD 5 (10%) 





+52 


73+9+9+9+G 

-11 

Deductions 






NEW ZEALAND 


53 in total 

Agusta 

Westland 

AW109 

AW139 

-1 

1 

AS350 

1 17 

Airbus 


+29 

BK117 

EC130 

-1 

2 2 

8 

Bell 206 

6 

Bell 


+8 

Bell 212 

1 

Bell 222 

1 


Guimbal 

MD 

Robinson 

+1 +5 

+10 

Cabri G2 

MD 500 

MD 520 

MD 530 

MD 900 

R44 

R22 

-4 

-4 

-4 

2 

1 

1 

1 

1 

4 

4 

8 

2 



Sikorsky 

S-300 

-1 

1 

122 


PRE-OWNED AIRCRAFT – GLOBAL AVAILABILITY 

Pre-owned Helicopters – % of Fleet for Sale 

10% 


9% 

Enstrom 

8% 

Schweizer 

Sikorsky 

7% 

Airbus 

Bell 

6% 

MD 

Robinson 

5% 

Jan-15 

Feb-15 

Mar-15 

Apr-15 

May-15 

Jun-15 

Jul-15 

Aug-15 

Sep-15 

Oct-15 

Nov-15 

Dec-15 

Pre-owned Helicopters – Average Days on Market 

Source: Jetnet LLC 

900 

850 

Enstrom 

800 

750 

700 


Schweizer 

650 

Airbus 

600 

550 

MD 

Sikorsky 

Bell 

Robinson 

500 

Jan-15 

Feb-15 

Mar-15 

Apr-15 

May-15 

Jun-15 

Jul-15 

Aug-15 

Sep-15 

Oct-15 

Nov-15 

Dec-15 

Source: Jetnet LLC 


AIRCRAFT MODELS POSITIONING 

Aircraft Total Yearly Cost vs Maximum Range 

8 

AW189 

AS332 L1e 

S-92 

H225 

4 

Bell 412EPI 

S-76D 

H175 

H145 

H155 

AW139 

Total Yearly Cost (Million USD/Year) 

2 

1 

Bell 430 

MD 902 

AC311* 

Bell 407 

Bell 206L4 

S-76C++ 

AC312* 

EC145 

AW109 GrandNew 

Bell 429 

H135 

AW109 Power 

H130 

Bell 407GXP 

AW119 Kx 

H125 

MD600N 

Heavy 

MD 520N 

MD 530F 

MD 500E 

S-333 

H120 

EN480B 

R66 

Medium 

Light Twin 

Single 

Piston 

0.5 

R44 Raven II 

R22 Beta II 

0.25 

100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 

* Estimated cost using similar model categories 

Total Yearly Cost estimated using includes Conklin & de Decker 2015 industrial cost figures for aircraft acquisition cost 

on 10 years, plus yearly operating cost, plus adjustments to account for regional differences. 

124 


Recent & Upcoming Aircraft Models 

780 

730 

Recently 

Delivered 

Upcoming 

AW609 

680 

Maximum Range (NM) 

630 

580 

530 

480 

Mi-171A2 

Mi-38 

Bell 525 Relentless 

H160 

430 

380 

Ka-62 

Bell 407GXP 

AW169 

330 

Bell 505 Jet Ranger X 

280 


2016 

2017 

2018 

2019 

32 

29 

Mi-38 

26 

23 

Mi-171A2 

Maximum Passengers 

20 

17 

14 

11 

Ka-62 

Bell 525 Relentless 

H160 

8 

AW169 

AW609 

5 

Bell 407GXP 

2 

Bell 505 Jet Ranger X 


2016 

2017 

2018 

2019 


AIRCRAFT PROFILE 

The S-92 helicopter is the most advanced aircraft in Sikorsky’s 

civil product line. It was developed after the 1973 oil crisis to 

meet the demand for an aircraft with sufficient capabilities 

when gas and oil companies began exploring further offshore. 

From there, it further expanded into the VIP transport market, 

establishing itself as one of the finest and most versatile aircraft 

flying in private aviation today. Developed from Sikorsky’s S-70 

military helicopter, the S-92 has similar parts, including the 

flight control and rotor systems. The four-blade, twin-engine, 

medium-lift S-92 is 17.10 m long and 4.71 m high. Powered 

by two General Electric CT7-8A turboshaft engines, it has a 

maximum speed of 306 km/h, and a cruise speed of 280 km/ 

h. Its range is 999 km, and its service ceiling 4,270 m. The S-92 

flies with a 2-person crew, and has a standard capacity for 9-10 

passengers in its 6.09 meter long, 2 meter tall cabin. 

Certified to meet the world’s most stringent safety 

requirements, its advanced health and usage monitoring 

system sets a new standard for reliability, enabling cutting-edge 

fleet management services. 

The S-92 is available in a number of versions. The civil transport 

version has an airliner-type interior, while the utility version has 

22 side-facing seats with a full cabin-width rear ramp. The 68.1 

sq m interior cabin can be configured to accommodate up to 

three airline-style LD3 cargo containers. The S-92’s spacious 

cabin allows for versatile seating arrangements, that can 

incorporate custom features including a galley, wet bar, closets, 

and even a lavatory. Unique custom interiors use only the finest 

materials enabling the cabin to be considerably quieter and the 

flight smooth so passengers can relax, read, or get some work 

done around the clock. The 1.83 m ceiling allows for ease of 

movement throughout the cabin, and the wide spaces allow for 

greater comfort when seated. Satellite phones keep traveling 

VIPs in touch anytime and anywhere with an advanced global 

communication system. 

The airframe of the S-92 is made of dynamic components, 

based on those from the S-70. In 2000, two year’s after the 

aircraft’s maiden flight, the fuselage was lengthened by 40 cm 

aft of the cockpit, the tail pylon shortened, and the horizontal 

stabilizer repositioned, creating greater stability and allowing 

126 


DIMENSIONS 

Length: 56’2” (17.10m) 

Rotor Diameter: 56’4” (17.17m) 

Height: 15’5” (4.71m) 

Width: 17’3” (5.26m) 

Cabin Size: 20’ Long x 6.6’ Tall x 6.4’ Wide 

WEIGHTS 

Internal Load: 12,020 kg / 26,500 lb 

External Load: 12,837 kg / 28,300 lb 

Empty Weight: 7,030 kg / 15,500 lb 

PAYLOAD 

Full Fuel Load (standard): 2,333 kg / 5,145 lb 

Max External Load: 3 ,622 kg / 7,988 lb 

CAPACITY 

VIP: 2 crews + 10 passengers 

Offshore Operations: 2 crews + 19 passengers 

Search and Rescue: Crew Seats + up to 6 Patient Litters 

ENGINES 

General Electric CT7-8A : 

2,520 shp / 1,879 kW 

Maximum Emergency Power (OEI): 

2,740 shp / 2,043 kW 

PERFORMANCE 

Maximum Speed: 306 km/h / 165 kts 

Long Range Cruise Speed: 254 km/h / 137 kts 

OEI Service Ceiling: 1,676m / 5,500 ft 

Ceiling-Certified MTOW: 4,572m / 15,000 ft 

the aircraft to be used for a broader range of applications, 

stretching well beyond its military roots. The S-92 features an 

active vibration control system for greater flight comfort and 

lower acoustic levels. Safety features such as flaw tolerance, 

bird strike capability, and engine burst containment have been 

incorporated into the design of the S-92. 

MAXIMUM RANGE 

865 km / 467 NM - Normal Tanks 

1,485 km / 802 NM - with 210 gal. Aux. Tank 

Sikorsky has taken the rugged reliability of a cutting-edge 

military aircraft and modified it with the highest demands for 

comfort and luxury in mind. It is no surprise, then, that the S-92 

has become the helicopter of choice for heads of state and VIPs 

around the world, including the president of the United States 

of America. To travel in an S-92 is to experience the comfort 

of a fixed-wing business aircraft with the freedom of a medium 

sized helicopter. 


128 


MISSION & SIZE CATEGORY DESCRIPTION 

Mission Categories 

In this report, mission categories include: 

•Multi-Mission 

•Offshore Operations 

•Search and Rescue (SAR) 

•Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 

•Law Enforcement 

•Flight Training 

•Corporate 

•Private (recreational) 

•Charter 

The largest mission category is broadly defined as 

Multi-Mission, also referred to as “General Aviation” in the 

industry. Most helicopters in this category are active in 

more than one mission and can be configured to perform 

various tasks. This includes a number of subcategories: 

•Onshore Oil & Gas (distinct from offshore operations) 

•Forestry (surveying, logging and protection) 

•FireFighting 

•Aerial Photography 

•Aerial Tours 

•Agriculture and Pest Control 

•Power-line Repair and Survey 

•News Gathering 

Size Categories 

Heavy Medium Light Twin Single Piston 

AS332C AC312 AS355 AC301 A600 Talon 

AS332L AS365 AW109 AC311 B-2 

AS332L1 AW139 Bell 230 AS350 Bell 47 

AS332L2 AW169 Bell 427 AW119 Bell OH-13H 

AW101 AW189 BO105 Bell 206 Cabri G2 

BV107 Bell 204 EC135 Bell 407 CH-7 

BV234 Bell 205 MD 900 Bell AH-1 EN280 

EC225 Bell 212 EC120 Exec 162F 

Mi-26 Bell 214 EC130 Exec 90 

Mi-8 Bell 222 EN480 Gynali H2S 

S-61 Bell 412 FH-1100 Innovator Technologies XE 

S-64 Bell 429 Gazelle HT MK2 Jetexec T62 

S-92 Bell 430 Helicycle MHP Y4P 

BK117 Hummingbird Mini 500 

Dhruv K-Max Mosquito XE/XET 

EC145 MD 500 Phillicopter MK I 

EC155 MD 520 R22 

KA-32 MD 530 R44 

Mi-2 MD 600 Rotorway Exec 162 

S-70A Mi-34 S-300 

S-76A R66 S-55B 

S-76A+ Rotorway Jetexec Safari 

S-76A++ S-330 Skeeter 

S-76B S-333 UH-12 

S-76C S-58 Ultrasport 331H 

S-76C+ 

SA313 

S-76C++ 

SA315 

S-76D 

SA316 

Surion 

SA319 

Z-9 SA341 

SW-4 

Z-11 


130 



Financing Institutions 

The following list contains a number of Asia-Pacific and international financial institutions. The main difference between the 

bank and non-bank financial intermediaries is that banks are more focused on finance leases and leasing companies are 

more focus on operating leases. 

China is becoming a large and important player in this area. Not only large banks in China have established their own 

aviation finance departments, but also many leasing companies have received support from the government allowing them 

to implement preferential leasing solutions. 

Financing Institutions for Smaller Helicopters 

Name Office Location Finance Lease Operating Lease 

CIT International 

BNP Paribas International 

Citi Bank International 

Credit Suisse International 

Bank of Scotland Corp. Asset Solutions International 

Amur Helicopter Financial Services, LLC International 

Macquarie Rotorcraft Leasing International 

Waypoint Leasing International 

Cessna Finance Corporation International 

Textron Aviation Finance Corporation International 

Lease Corporation International International 

Minsheng Bank China 

ICBC China 

Industrial Bank China 

China Development Bank China 

China Merchants Bank China 

Agriculture Bank of China China 

Changjiang Leasing China 

AVIC Leasing China 

Shanghai Guojin Leasing China 

Anbang Insurance China 

China Huarong Financial Leasing China 

CITIC Futong China 

China Trust Taiwan 

Chailease Finance Taiwan 

Fuyo General Lease Co., Ltd. Japan 

Century Tokyo Leasing Corporation Japan 

JA Mitsui Leasing, Ltd. Japan 

ITC-Leasing, Inc. Japan 

BOT Lease Co., Ltd. Japan 

Sannichi Leasing Japan 

Chikugin Lease KK Japan 

Naka Nihon Van Lease Co., Ltd. Japan 

Togin Lease Co., Ltd. Japan 

Toyota Finance Japan 

Nissei Lease K.K. Japan 

Ricoh Leasing Company, Ltd. Japan 

Kogin Lease Japan 

Showa Leasing Co., Ltd. Japan 

Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance Company Japan 

KTB Leasing Co., Ltd. Thailand 

Resona Indonesia Finance PT Indonesia 

Capital Finance Australia 

Westpac Australia 

ANZ Australia 

National Australia Bank Australia 

MACQUARIE Australia 

Commonwealth Bank of Australia Australia 

Heli Holdings Ltd New Zealand 

136 


Financing Institutions for Larger Oil & Gas, VIP, EMS Helicopters 

Name Office Location Finance Lease Operating Lease 

Barclays International 

CIT International 

BNP Paribas International 

Milestone Aviation Group Limited / GE Capital International 

RBS International 

Amur Helicopter Financial Services, LLC International 

Macquarie Rotorcraft Leasing International 

Waypoint Leasing International 

Lease Corporation International International 

Minsheng Bank China 

ICBC China 

Industrial Bank China 

AVIC Leasing China 

MACQUARIE Australia 

Commonwealth Bank of Australia Australia 

Westpac Australia 

ANZ Australia 

National Australia Bank Australia 

Helicopter Leasing New Zealand 

Heli Holdings Ltd New Zealand 

Legal Firms 

Involving an experience lawyer or law firm in the early stages of an aircraft sales and purchase is key to minimize both 

costs and potential problems relating to the aircraft for the long run. Aircraft transactions are complicated and involve 

a sizable number of documents, including sales and purchase agreement, financing agreement, aircraft management 

agreement, and all specification, registration, and importation documents, just to name a few. Due to the unique nature 

of aircraft transactions, industry experts and specialists in both the legal and commercial aspects of transactions will be 

needed to scrutinize each transaction as to ensure that seller or buyer’s legal interests are best protected and the best 

commercial terms are obtained. 

ASG provides transaction support services with its team of aviation specialists in the industry. ASG will also liaise with top 

law firms should legal services be required, and thereby ensuring a smooth transaction both legally and commercially. 

Law Firm Region Law Firm Region 

Herbert Smith Freehills Australia Shook Lin & Bok Indonesia 

Allens Australia Makarim & Taira S. Indonesia 

Minter Ellison Australia Bae, Kim & Lee Korea 

Allen & Overy LLP Australia Kim & Chang Korea 

King & Wood Mallesons Australia and China Lee & Ko Korea 

Run Ming Law Offices China Yulchon LLC Korea 

Jun He Law Offices China Yoon & Yang LLC Korea 

Clifford Chance Hong Kong Bell Gully New Zealand 

Clyde & Co Hong Kong Chapman Tripp New Zealand 

Bird & Bird Hong Kong Russell McVeagh New Zealand 

Holman Fenwick William Hong Kong Appleby Offshore 

Mayer Brown JSM Hong Kong Bedell Cristin Offshore 

Stephenson Harwood Hong Kong Carey Olsen Offshore 

William K K Ho & Co. Hong Kong Conyers Dill & Pearman Offshore 

Lee and Li Taiwan Harney Westwood & Riegels Offshore 

Tsar & Tsai Law Firm Taiwan Maples and Calder Offshore 

Bhasin & Co India Mourant Ozannes Offshore 

Wadia Ghandy & Co India Walkers Offshore 

Gagrats India SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan Philippines 

Mulla & Mulla & Craigie Blunt & Caroe India Hogan Lovells Singapore 

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune Japan Milbank Singapore 

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu Japan Watson Farley & Williams Singapore and Hong Kong 

Nishimura & Asahi Japan Siam Premier Thailand 

Squire Sanders 

Japan 


The information contained in this report is provided free of charge for reference only. While such information was compiled using the best 

available data as of December 2015, ASG makes no warranties, either expressed or implied, concerning the accuracy, completeness, reliability, 

or suitability of such information. ASG is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims any and all liability for damages of any kind, either direct or 

indirect, arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within this report. 

ASIAN SKY GROUP 

THANKS TO 

Suite 3905, Far East Finance Centre, 

16 Harcourt Road 

Admiralty, Hong Kong 

Telephone +852 2235 9222 

Facsimile +852 2528 2766 

www.asianskygroup.com

ASG Asia Pacific Civil Helicopter Fleet Report Year End 2015 EN

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