Bertling Believes Eurocopter Still Strongly Positioned to Face Down Effects of Recession
Bertling said that despite the economic recession gripping Europe and the USA, Eurocopter’s exposure to its US business the strong US dollar was less than 10% of the company’s annual turnover, and therefore was manageable.
Bertling said that Eurocopter had only experienced four or five aircraft cancellations in the previous month and those were in sectors such as tourism and VIP fleets that he would expected to react first under current economic conditions.
Bertling confirmed again that Eurocopter will be one of the bidders for the US Army’s re-presented Armed Reconnaissance Helcopter (ARH) programme, although this would be in cooperation with American.
He also said that now the Tiger and NH90 programmes are relatively under control, the company’s research and development into innovation was being turned towards the civil market – looking at ‘greening’ measures including less exhaust gas omissions and lower noise levels. Where a 43% increase in R&D had been achieved in the period to the end of 2008, he expected that this higher figure would benefit from a 25% rise in 2009.
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