A guide to the 4 major helicopter manufacturers

Airbus Helicopters
Headquarters: Marseille Provence Airport

Head of company: Guillaume Faury

Although it was known as Eurocopter up until 2014, Airbus Helicopters has a long and various history that can be traced right the way back to Blériot in France, and Messerschmitt in Germany. It wasn’t until 1992 when the helicopter divisions of Aérospatiale and Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG (DASA) merged that Eurocopter was formed.

Airbus Helicopters has four main manufacturing sites in Europe, with a further 30+ subsidiary plants worldwide. The main manufacturing plat is in the south of France at Marseilles Marignane Airport, although some helicopters are built at Donauwörth in Germany.

Following on from the name change to Airbus Helicopters in 2014, the company announced at the 2015 Heli Expo in Orlando that it would be changing the names of its current in production helicopters, removing the EC prefix that was a throwback to the Eurocopter days.

Current in production civil and military helicopters range from light helicopters, right the way through to heavy heli’s. One of the most popular helicopters in the range is the Dauphin (Originally the AS365, now the H155) which is a medium helicopter that’s sold over 1000 units.

The Dauphin has been so successful that it’s successor has been four years in development, and has so far cost an estimated €1 billion ($1.12 billion). Finally unveiled at the 2015 HAI event in Orlando, the H160 is planned to be introduced in two stages, with the first due to be introduced in 2017, and a more advanced version following three years later.

AgustaWestland

Headquarters: Rome, Italy

Head of company: Daniele Romiti

Formed in July 2000 when Agusta and Westland’s parent companies merged their helicopter divisions, AgustaWestland is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica, with official headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Both companies began helicopter production during the 1950s, with Westland Helicopters focusing mainly on the military market from its base in Yeovil in the South of the UK. Although the company was most well known for producing the Sea King helicopters that are still in service today with the UKs coast guard and search & rescue teams, this was actually a licensed built version of the Sikorsky S-61.

The company’s military connections still exist to this day, with the AgustaWestland saying that they are the second biggest manufacturer of military helicopters. Aircraft in the military line-up include the AW101 Merlin, and the AW159 Wildcat.

One of the most exciting upcoming helicopters is the AgustaWestland AW609 tiltrotor. Although tiltrotor technology has been in use by the military for some years, we’ve yet to see it used in a civil capacity. By havin the rotor-blades change their position during different flight stages, a tiltrotor can transform from a traditional helicopter style profile that gives the helicopter vertical lift, to a turboprop style aircraft, with forward facing engines. This gives the AW609 an advantage of being able to land vertically, whilst still keeping the speed of a traditional turboprop aircraft.

Bell Helicopter

Headquarters: Fort Worth, Texas

Head of company: John Garrison

Bell’s history can be traced back as far as 1935 when Bell Aircraft was formed in New York. At that time the company specialised in building fighter aircraft, with the company holding the distinction of building the first US built fighter jet. (P-59 Airacomet)

As well as holding the honour of building the first US build fighter jet, the company also has the distinction of building the first helicopter to be rated by a civil aviation authority. The Bell 47 was the second helicopter that Bell built, and following its introduction during the middle of the 1940s went on to see over 5,600 aircraft deliveries.

During 1959 the company’s biggest helicopter was introduced into service. The UH-1 Huey saw a production run of around 16,000 units, with the aircraft really making its name during the Vietnam war. A year later, in 1960, Textron purchased the company. At that time Bell was split into three divisions, although only the helicopter division was still manufacturing complete aircraft.

The company still produces both civil and military helicopters, although most recent new helicopters have been almost exclusively civilian.

Sikorsky Helicopters

Headquarters: Stamford, Connecticut

Head of company: Robert Leduc

Founded 1925 by Ukrainian born aircraft engineer Igor Sikorsky, the company began life by designing and building traditional multi-engine airplanes and seaplanes from its base in New York. Four years years later the company joined United Technologies Corporation and moved its operations to its current Stamford, Connecticut home.

Following a merger with Vought Aircraft in the 1928 Igor Sikorsky turned his attentions towards helicopters. The first aircraft, the VS-300, served as a test platform for the first Sikorsky production build helicopter. The Sikorsky R-4 flew for the first time in 1942, and went on to deliver 131 units.

Today, Sikosky’s main business is building medium to heavy lift Helicopters that are well known for their rugged performance. It is most known for two medium helicopters, with the S-76 being a commercial helicopter used in many coast guards and air force’s around the world, and the S-96 used mainly by oil and gas companies transporting workers between locations.

Sikorsky may not be a part of UTC for too much longer though. Early in 2015 UTC stated that they had performed a strategic review of the companies in its portfolio and found that Sikorsky weren’t performing alongside its expectations. This lead to much speculation about who the potential suitors could be.

Contributed by Corporate Jet Investor

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Etihad Airways Introduces Boeing 787 on Seoul Incheon Service

Etihad Airways has introduced the Boeing 787-9 on its scheduled daily service from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to Seoul. The aircraft touched down this morning at the South Korean capital's space-age Incheon International Airport.

The new two-class 787 Dreamliner service replaces the Airbus A340-600 aircraft previously operated on the route, and features Etihad Airways' next-generation Business and Economy Class cabins, configured with 299 seats - 28 Business Studios and 271 Economy Smart Seats.

Mohammad Al Bulooki, Etihad Airways Executive Vice President Commercial, said:"Seoul has been a very successful and popular route for Etihad Airways since it was launched in December 2010 and we are fast approaching our one millionth traveller milestone on the service."

"There has been a steady increase in the number of business and leisure travellers flying to South Korea from Abu Dhabi and the GCC region, and vice versa. The UAE government's initiatives to develop the already strong trade ties between our two countries has allowed many Korean companies to operate successfully here, contributing to the success of Etihad Airways' Seoul Incheon service. Furthermore, many of our customers on the route transit onwards through Abu Dhabi to major destinations on the Etihad network across Europe, the Middle East and Africa."

"The addition of more 787 Dreamliners into our fleet has allowed us to upgrade the Seoul service so our customers can enjoy the unique Etihad experience available on this incredible aircraft, and ensuring that we maintain the competitive edge with the innovative cabin and seating designs featured onboard."

Etihad Airways' modern fleet of 16 Boeing 787 aircraft feature innovative, award-winning cabin designs and products, complemented by the airline's acclaimed service and hospitality offering. Seoul flights include Food and Beverage Managers in Business Class and a Norland approved Flying Nanny in Economy Class to provide extra specialised care for families with young children.

The Business Studios offer direct aisle access, a fully-flat bed of up to 80.5 inches in length, and an increase of 20 per cent in personal space. Upholstered in fine Poltrona Frau Leather, the Business Studio is equipped with an in-seat massage and pneumatic cushion control system which enables guests to adjust the firmness and comfort of their seat.

Each Business Studio has an 18-inch personal touch-screen TV with noise-cancelling headsets. Guests can also enjoy mobile connectivity, onboard Wi-Fi and seven satellite channels of live TV.

Economy Smart Seats provide enhanced comfort with a unique 'fixed wing' headrest, adjustable lumbar support, a seat width of approximately 19 inches and an 11.1" personal TV monitor on each seat. The aircraft has been designed with enhancements including humidity controls while air pressure levels are set to ensure a smoother flight, allowing guests to arrive feeling fresher.

The airline's Boeing 787 fleet is equipped with the latest inflight entertainment system featuring over 750 hours of movies and programmes, as well as hundreds of music choices and a selection of games for both adults and children.

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BOC Aviation Orders 10 New Boeing 737 MAX 10 Aircraft

BOC Aviation Limited ("BOC Aviation") is pleased to announce that it has placed an order for 10 new Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft, following the announcement on 19 June 2017 by Boeing of a memorandum of understanding signed at the Paris Air Show.

"We are pleased to be adding the Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft to our future delivery pipeline, which offers airlines greater capacity combined with excellent operating costs and fuel efficiency," said Robert Martin, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of BOC Aviation. "As a launch customer for the programme, this demonstrates the strength of our relationship with Boeing and will help us continue to deliver superior solutions for our airline customers."

"Boeing is thrilled to finalize this deal for 10 737 MAX 10s with BOC Aviation," said Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president, Asia Pacific & India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The 737 MAX 10, with its lowest seat costs of any airplane, will provide superior value to BOC Aviation's customers around the world."

Following this latest purchase agreement, BOC Aviation's cumulative outstanding orders, purchases and deliveries to date for Boeing aircraft total 348 aircraft, including 84 Boeing 737 MAX family aircraft.

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S-97 Raider makes hard landing during flight test

Information from TTFLY— The Sikorsky S-97 Raider prototype made a hard landing on Wednesday morning during a flight test.

A spokesman told WPTV, the S-97 Raider helicopter landed from a hover during a flight test. Fortunately, there were no injuries to the two crew members on the aircraft.

At present, the engineering team of Sikorsky is investigating the incident.

Less Passengers and More Flights from China to New Zealand

In the first half of 2017, 214.4 thousand Chinese passengers flew to New Zealand, representing a decrease of 11.2 thousand passengers or 4.96% compared with the same period of last year. For this six months, only January witnessed a significant increase in passenger number because of the Spring Festival. The number of Chinese passengers flew to New Zealand remained at an ordinary level in the following five months.

In the first half of 2017, the number of New Zealand's passengers flew to China kept a rapid increase. 52 thousand passengers flew to China in these six months, representing an increase of 7.8 thousand or 17.5% compared with the same period of last year.

For China-New Zealand route's capacity, both of the two countries' flight frequency and seats recorded an increase. In the first half of 2017, seats on China-New Zealand route recorded an increase of more than 10%, which means that airlines' capacity is still larger than the market demands.

From September 2015, China's airlines have launched six routes to New Zealand. Sichuan Airlines launched a newest Chengdu - Auckland route on June 13. Currently, there are 37 weekly flights from China to New Zealand.

For the second half of 2017, with the coming of a peak tourist season, China - Australia aviation market will keep a rapid growth without the capacity limitation. However, China - New Zealand routes will face problems of slow demand growth and diversion of nonstop flight market.

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Chinese carriers have introduced 160 new aircraft in the 2017 first half, expanding their total domestic airline fleet to 3,047 airliners as of June 30, according to China's Civil Aviation Data Analysis.

In the 1H, these 160 new aircraft comprised 28 in January, 15 in February, 22 in March, 34 in April, 22 in May and 39 in June.

The most popular aircraft types were the Boeing 737-800 (56), Airbus A320 (35) and A321 (20).

In addition, China Eastern Airlines introduced three Boeing 777-300ERs, expanding the Shanghai-based carrier's 777-300ER fleet to 19 aircraft. China Eastern took delivery of its last of the type July 23. The carrier had ordered a total of 20 777-300ERs.

Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines took delivery of five Airbus A320neos in the 1H, while Beijing-based Air China and China Southern subsidiary Xiamen Airlines introduced two Boeing 787-9s, respectively. HNA Group subsidiary Hainan Airlines took delivery of three 787-9s.

In the first half, Chinese carriers operated 23 Boeing 787-9s. Hainan Airlines has the biggest 787-9 fleet with 11 aircraft, while Air China and Xiamen operate nine 787-9s and three of the type, respectively.

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A light plane crash lands on Portuguese beach and two people killed

A light plane crash landed on a packed beach near Lisbon on Wednesday, killing two people.

The victims of the accident were a 56-year-old man and an 8-year-old girl on the beach, who were not related. A 45-year-old woman was slightly injured and had been taken to hospital for treatment. Portuguese Lusa News Agency reported

The landed plane was carrying out a training flight with a student and a senior instructor, and the two were not injured.

The Portuguese authorities have begun to investigate the cause of the accident.

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