Airbus Helicopters Delivers Solid Sales Performance with a 9% Rise in Orders

Airbus Helicopters received 410 gross orders (net: 393) in 2023, indicating a steady market recovery, with strong performance this year from the light twin and medium twin helicopters. Orders came from 179 customers in 47 countries.

In 2023, the company delivered 346 helicopters, representing a preliminary 54% share of the civil and parapublic market. 2023 was a year of many firsts, including the first flight of the DisruptiveLab demonstrator, which featured a new aerodynamic architecture aimed at reducing fuel consumption, as well as the first flight of the German Navy’s cutting-edge anti-submarine warfare helicopter, the NH90 Sea Tiger.

The Spanish Navy received its first H135 helicopters from Airbus, adding a new member to the family. In 2023, both civil and military customers continued to find favour with global support contracts and the HCare offering. “By-the-hour” contracts were used to acquire 140 additional helicopters, increasing the total to 2760 helicopters.

The Company continued to invest in demonstrators that advanced its decarbonisation roadmap and improved aviation safety, with a strong emphasis on innovation and sustainability. For the first time in the history of the helicopter industry, Airbus Helicopters’ FlightLab successfully tested an electric flight control system that would have replaced all three traditional pilot controls with a single stick.

After these successful FBW flight tests, Airbus Helicopters and Airbus UpNext were able to test sophisticated autonomous features that would ease mission planning and management, lessen the workload of helicopter pilots, and enhance increase safety.