Airbus predicts two-year wait for helicopter market recovery
Airbus will equip the H160M with weapons including the MBDA Sea Venom antiship missile. (Photo: Airbus)
Following a surge in helicopter orders for 2021 compared to 2020, Airbus thinks it will take two to three years before sales return to pre-COVID-19 levels.
Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, has said it could take several years before the helicopter market recovers from the impact of COVID-19.
The manufacturer announced on 26 January 2022 that it secured 419 gross orders for civil and military helicopters in 2021, up from 289 aircraft ordered in 2020 – a strong performance in light of international economic uncertainty.
‘Worldwide bookings are still not at the level of 2019 and we think it will take another two to three years before we recover from levels seen before the [COVID-19] crisis, but the trend [of growth] is there,’ said Even during
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