Asia-Pacific is becoming a crucial region for the commercial helicopter industry.

Unsurprisingly, the effect of recent low oil prices has impacted aircraft sales, but as this price stabilises and new models start to emerge into the market, like Bell Helicopter’s 505 JetRanger X and Airbus Helicopters’ H160 – both on display at the inaugural Rotorcraft Asia 2017 – the narrative is changing from concern in the offshore support sector to exciting new helicopters with state-of-the-art technologies.

This being said, it is important to note that the use of commercial helicopters in Asia continues to increase, with corporate VIP and offshore configurations featuring particularly strongly.

According to the Asian Sky Group’s Fleet Report 2016, there are more than 3,900 turbine-powered civil

helicopters operating within the region. The largest sector represented is corporate with 394 aircraft, followed closely by offshore and law enforcement. A growing proportion of the market lies with training helicopters, which currently stands at 56 aircraft.

Airbus Helicopters is the largest OEM within the region with more than 1,600 rotorcraft in service, while Bell Helicopter has over 1,000 machines flying in Asia. Both will be seeking to increase their market share via pre-orders and orders of the H160 and Model 505.

Leonardo Helicopters has 355 aircraft, MD Helicopters has 249 and Sikorsky has around 207 operating within the region, according to the report.

Manufacturers exhibiting at Rotorcraft Asia 2017 such as Airbus, Bell and Sikorsky will be looking to capitalise on their presence.

Photo: Gordon Arthur

However, there will also be a focus at the show on regional operators like Philippine-based aviation charter company PhilJets. It recently welcomed the addition of a new Bell 407 GXP to its fleet, with two Airbus H130s and an H145 due later this year, and is ambitious to keep growing.

Australia represents the biggest national market for helicopters in the Asia-Pacific region, with a total fleet numbering 805.

Also in the top five according to fleet size are Japan, China, New Zealand and India. China has seen particularly strong increases, averaging around 20% total fleet growth each year.

What is becoming more and more apparent is that helicopter manufacturers are utilising trade shows to present their optimism on the market’s recovery – and Rotorcraft Asia 2017 is bound to support this trend.By Helen Haxell

New helicopter types set to boost Asia-Pacific market

18-20 APRIL 2017 | CHANGI EXHIBITION CENTRE, SINGAPORE

SHEPHARDMEDIA.COM

The Rotorcraft Asia Show Daily is published by Shephard Media in association with Experia Events. Printed by Xpress Print, Singapore. © Shephard Media 2017

Three editions of the show daily are being produced on site. The team can be contacted in the Media Centre or by e-mail at showdaily@shephardmedia.com

HIGHLIGHTSExhibition

10:00am – 5:30pmOver 80 participating

companies from close to 20 countries gather to

showcase a vast spectrum of cutting-edge and

innovative solutions in rotorcraft and unmanned

systems.

Static displaysGet up close and personal

with Airbus’s Southeast Asia debut of the first member of the H-generation H160, and

Bell’s latest Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter.

Rotorcraft Asia 2017 conferenceNetwork and learn from the

top flight of rotorcraft specialists at the conference happening on 19th & 20th

April. Check out www.rotorcraft-asia.com/

conferences.html for more details!

DAILY NEWSDay One

18 April 2017

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THE FUTURE TAKES OFF

COME & VISIT USStand J01

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DAY ONE ROTORCRAFT ASIA 2017 DAILY NEWS

THE FUTURE TAKES OFF

COME & VISIT USStand J01

13025 AH H160 - Service - ShepMediaShowDaily.indd 1 20/03/2017 10:21

Regional growth drives event interest STAND L22

Rotorcraft Asia 2017 is Asia-Pacific’s first dedicated event for the civil helicopter industry, so Rotorcraft Asia Daily News spoke to Leck Chet Lam, managing director of Experia Events, to learn more about the reasons for establishing the show.

As global demand for new helicopter deliveries increases, the Asia-Pacific region is being cited as the main driver for this growth. Indeed, Leck quoted impressive prospects for a region, already possessing a fleet of 6,000+ civil and government helicopters.

Last year, Asia-Pacific accounted for 31.8% of global helicopter deliveries, eclipsing both Europe and North America, which contributed about 27% each.

Leck said: ‘Demand for new-build helicopters in Asia-Pacific is expected to account for the largest share, about 37% of new civil helicopters to be delivered globally by 2025.’

With the region poised for such growth, Leck believes Rotorcraft Asia 2017 ‘fulfils the critical need for a centralised event that brings key stakeholders together to support the region’s rising demand for civil helicopters and the emerging needs of civil and commercial rotorcraft operators’.

He declared: ‘With the needs of stakeholders in Asia’s aviation, aerospace and defence increasing in sophistication, the time is ripe to expand Experia Events’ offerings to address this wider spectrum.’

Experia Events believes Singapore is a natural location for the show. ‘Singapore is… home to some of the world’s most prominent aerospace companies, which has helped [it] become the leading aviation hub in Asia-Pacific today, contributing over a quarter share of the region’s maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) output.’

Speaking of MRO services, Leck noted: ‘The Asia-Pacific region is the fastest growing market for civil helicopter MRO, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 7% between 2016 and

2020.’ This compares with a global 4% CAGR.

Experia’s managing director was pleased to announce ‘more than 80 participating companies from close to 20 countries’ were attending Rotorcraft Asia 2017, including big names such as Airbus Helicopters, Bell Helicopter, Honeywell Aerospace, L3 Wescam, RUAG Aviation, Safran Helicopter Engines Asia and Sikorsky.

The event is expected to welcome more than 4,000 visitors from 40-plus countries over the course of three days, where attendees will be able to enjoy a ‘first-hand, close-up look at the latest innovations, technologies and developments in the rotorcraft industry,’ according to Leck.

Another important component of the event is a two-day strategic conference titled ‘Innovation in Rotorcraft’. Keynote speakers will share insights on ‘key topics, current issues and challenges faced by manufacturers and operators of rotorcraft’.

As with the co-located Unmanned Systems Asia 2017 event, there will be a VIP Buyers Programme, where, ‘through prearranged and facilitated meetings, exhibitors can use this dedicated face time to forge new partnerships as per their product interest’.

Leck enthused: ‘We are confident that the co-located events will enable industry stakeholders to tap into the rich opportunities in the Asia-Pacific civil helicopter and unmanned systems markets.’By Gordon Arthur

At © a

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FREE PARTICIPATIONFunction Room #4

• THERMOPLASTICS • SOFTWARE • REPAIR • • MANUFACTURING • DESIGN • FORECAST •

With the participation of :- JEC Group- Porcher Industries- Composite Cluster Singapore- Vortech Analytics- Republic Polytechnic

April 19, 2017 – 3 to 5pm

Join us for a cocktail on our booth #H21

on Wednesday 19 from 5PM

Photo: Experia Events

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DAY ONE ROTORCRAFT ASIA 2017 DAILY NEWS

STAND J01

The Airbus Helicopters H130 is embarking on a customer demonstration tour in Malaysia to boost sales of the aircraft there.

Fabrice Rochereau, VP and head of sales for the Southeast Asia and Pacific region at Airbus Helicopters, told Rotorcraft Asia Daily News how the light single-engine type was still yet to make a mark in the country.

With the demonstration tour under way, he is hoping to cement the

H130 to embark on regional sales tourplatform’s footprint in the region, particularly in the tourism sector.

Rochereau explained further how the tour was a result of Airbus being unable to crack the Malaysian market with the H130.

‘The H130 is very popular across the region, except Malaysia, and I wonder why, so I want to correct this as soon as possible... it is a popular aircraft for tourism.’

According to a recent Asian Sky Group report, Airbus Helicopters has 1,691 aircraft in total within Asia-Pacific, some 66% of the region’s total turbine civil helicopter fleet. The OEM confirmed that there are 1,900 Airbus Helicopters aircraft flying in the region.

One emerging country that is proving to be of interest to Airbus is Myanmar. Rochereau said that the company has already identified some potential customers:

‘[Myanmar] is an emerging country and what we need to be successful is to see an establishment of civil aviation regulations and some customer education in the use of their helicopter. It is a country where we are looking to develop our activities.’

Modernisation of the country’s airspace is being undertaken as Myanmar opens up further to tourism and air traffic increases accordingly. Rochereau went on to discuss the main challenges facing regional expansion in Southeast Asia.

‘Regulation is straining, particularly in smaller countries like Vietnam. However, in countries like Laos and Cambodia we have been experiencing regular sales over the years.’

Turning to overcoming the regulatory hurdle, he explained that Airbus Helicopters works closely with operators and aviation authorities

within the relevant country to ensure safe missions.

Airbus will be displaying a full-scale mock-up of the H160 at Rotorcraft Asia 2017. The medium helicopter will be targeting operators of Sikorsky’s S-76 and Leonardo Helicopters’ AW139 in the region as a potential successor.

Regarding the type’s future presence in the region, the H160 is anticipated to receive certification in 2018. Rochereau said the model was generating interest in the civil market.

‘We are already talking with many potential customers. Some are already putting down their commitment in the form of MoUs and LOIs.

‘The areas of interest are around the VIP, oil and gas and law enforcement configurations,’ Rochereau commented.By Helen Haxell

Photo: Airbus Helicopters

Honeywell aspires to future Asian business prospectsSTAND J18

Honeywell Aerospace has high hopes for its long-term prospects in Asia-Pacific, as it uses Rotorcraft Asia 2017 to highlight its latest connectivity solutions for helicopter operators in the region.

This year’s show will be one of the first regional exhibitions that the company has used to promote its latest Aspire 200 Satellite Communications System to the commercial helicopter market, including for EMS, SAR and VIP operations.

The Aspire 200 provides voice and data connectivity at rates of up to 650kb/s, and can be used for a variety of applications, from sending real-time video to an operations centre to providing internet connectivity on VIP aircraft.

EMS and SAR are key market segments for the company, according to Derek Lockett, Honeywell Aerospace’s Asia-Pacific sales director.

‘Markets like EMS and SAR have their own mission needs and we are now able to address them with some of our latest connectivity technologies,’ he told Rotorcraft Asia Daily News.

Using an example of a typical EMS mission, Lockett explained that a helicopter equipped with Aspire 200

could send real-time video of the patient to the receiving hospital’s staff, including the surgeons.

‘They can already access patient monitoring system data – heart rate, blood pressure, temperature etc – but for them the key thing is: what does the patient look like?’

One challenge Honeywell Aerospace has overcome is the main rotor blades ‘chopping up’ the SATCOM signal, leading to poor reliability.

‘We have developed a technology called interleaving, which means we can now rebuild the waveform and reliably communicate through the helicopter blades,’ said Lockett, adding that this is being coupled with the Inmarsat high-data-rate service, which accelerates communications and allows for video streaming.

‘That’s a game-changer and we have a lot of interest in Southeast Asia, particularly Australia and New Zealand, to implement these solutions,’ said Lockett.

The Aspire 200 has already achieved its supplemental type certificate on the AW139, which is a ‘key platform’ for the company, and seven additional aircraft are expected to be cleared for integration this year.By Grant Turnbull

Photo: Honeywell Aerospace

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DAY ONE ROTORCRAFT ASIA 2017 DAILY NEWS

True broadband connectivity for helicopters

© 2017 Honeywell International. All rights reserved.

For more information, please visit

aerospace.honeywell.com/aspire200.

High-speed, reliable and consistent in-fl ight Wi-Fi

is a critical capability for a helicopter operator.

And it’s now possible, thanks to Honeywell’s Aspire

200™ Satellite Communications System. The

innovative software package of the Aspire 200

mitigates the impacts of the rotor blades on the

satellite signal to the aircraft, allowing helicopter

pilots and passengers — regardless of mission — to

be connected anywhere in the world. Web surfi ng,

email, video-conferencing, large-fi le transfer —

brought to you by Honeywell’s Aspire 200 system.

Contact Honeywell and fi nd out why Aspire 200 is the essential Wi-Fi solution for rotorcraft.

Please visit us at Rotorcraft Asia booth #J18

HDS106929m_D&S_Aspire_Ad_235x275mm.indd 1 4/13/17 1:44 PM

MP30 transceiver ready for action STAND E20

Norwegian company Axnes has developed the next generation of its Polycon technology transceivers with the MP30, it has been announced.

Compared to the MP50, a ruggedised wireless intercom system, the new MP30 is smaller and has fewer features, making it simpler to use, Mark Panton, COO at Axnes, told Rotorcraft Asia Daily News.

‘We’ve just recently launched the MP30 which is a slightly less rugged [transceiver compared with the MP50] for use in cabins or around helicopters and not necessarily used just for SAR. It can be used for all kinds of applications, that’s the exciting part about it,’ Panton commented.

The height of the aluminium- cased MP30 is 10cm excluding the antenna (4cm). Width is 6cm and it is 3.5cm deep.

STAND E18

Established in 2014, CAE’s Brunei Multi-Purpose Training Centre (MPTC) has continued to evolve and now incorporates an S-70i Black Hawk ground school and simulator.

CAE has been awarded a long-term services contract which will allow Brunei to train pilots to fly its fleet of 12 S-70i Black Hawks.

CAE will supply its 3000 Series S-70i simulator which provides an

immersive experience for the full range of pilot training requirements on the aircraft.

‘The CAE Brunei MPTC is excited to launch our comprehensive S-70i Black Hawk training programme and pleased to now operate the region’s only S-70i Black Hawk full-mission simulator,’ said Kevin Speed, general manager at the centre.

‘We have established a world- class training programme that includes academic and simulator training that will help prepare the Royal

Brunei Air Force and other operators of the S-70i to operate this advanced helicopter for a range of missions.’

The simulator includes a dome display and high-fidelity CAE Medallion-6000 image generator.

‘Simulation-based training helps reduce training cost and increase safety and efficiency by enabling aircrews to perform manoeuvres or emergencies not suitable or possible in an actual aircraft,’ said Speed.

The MPTC also provides EASA-approved training, including instructor-led ‘wet’ initial and recurrent training, for the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter.

The S-92 wet training solution includes academic classroom and S-92 simulator instruction on a 3000 Series S-92 full-flight simulator (FFS). Operator-led ‘dry’ training on the S-92 FFS is also offered.By Beth Maundrill

STAND J21

Garmin’s G500H avionics display system has been selected by Korea Aerospace Industries for its KUH-1 Surion.

It is anticipated that the integrated flight deck will make its initial flight later this year on board the KUH-1.

The G500H is a combination primary flight and multifunction display, which delivers situation awareness information, moving map navigation and flight instrument data.

The dual 6.5in LCD screens provide course/heading, climb rate, altitude, attitude and airspeed information as well as detailed moving map graphics which will, in turn, indicate the Surion’s current position in relation to flight plan routings, navaids, chart data and ground features.

The first delivery of the aircraft equipped with the G500H is expected to be in 2019 to the Korea Coast Guard.

The G500H along with the GTN 650/700 touchscreen navigators are among the Garmin products that will be on display at Rotorcraft Asia 2017.By Helen Haxell

Garmin G500H flight deck to equip KAI Surion

The device has been designed with operational safety in mind, Panton explained further. ‘It enables increased situational awareness. The [operators] will always be in contact with the intercom on the aircraft even if they are cordless or hands-free at the back of the aircraft and [the MP30] can travel up to a range of 2-3km from the aircraft,’ he said.

Panton commented that this capability would assist paramedics who

have to reach a car accident in a challenging area, for example. Despite the helicopter being stationed elsewhere, crew will still be in contact with the aircraft.

Interest in the MP30 has been expressed in many sectors including EMS, the military and offshore oil and gas rigs. The transceiver is equipped with GPS and is water-resistant.By Helen Haxell

S-70i sim opens in Brunei MPTC

Photo: CAE

Image: Axnes

Image: Garmin

RCA-17_day_1.indd 6 4/17/2017 3:38:01 PM

True broadband connectivity for helicopters

© 2017 Honeywell International. All rights reserved.

For more information, please visit

aerospace.honeywell.com/aspire200.

High-speed, reliable and consistent in-fl ight Wi-Fi

is a critical capability for a helicopter operator.

And it’s now possible, thanks to Honeywell’s Aspire

200™ Satellite Communications System. The

innovative software package of the Aspire 200

mitigates the impacts of the rotor blades on the

satellite signal to the aircraft, allowing helicopter

pilots and passengers — regardless of mission — to

be connected anywhere in the world. Web surfi ng,

email, video-conferencing, large-fi le transfer —

brought to you by Honeywell’s Aspire 200 system.

Contact Honeywell and fi nd out why Aspire 200 is the essential Wi-Fi solution for rotorcraft.

Please visit us at Rotorcraft Asia booth #J18

HDS106929m_D&S_Aspire_Ad_235x275mm.indd 1 4/13/17 1:44 PMRCA-17_day_1.indd 7 4/17/2017 3:38:02 PM

8

DAY ONE ROTORCRAFT ASIA 2017 DAILY NEWS

FLIES MORE. LIFTS MORE. COSTS LESS TO OPERATE. Whatever the mission, K-MAX® delivers performance you can bank on.

Contact Kaman for detailed specifications and availability.

Terry Fogarty (860) 243-7431 Terry.Fogarty@Kaman.com kaman.com/aerosystems

Visit us at Rotorcraft Asia, booth E01

Kaman Aerosystems is a division of Kaman Aerospace Group.

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STAND J22

New Zealand-based company Spidertracks is to showcase its latest Smarter Aircraft Management platform at Rotorcraft Asia 2017.

The flight tracking service provided by the company will go further than just displaying the helicopter’s location. It will be able to deliver

Spidertracks spins flight tracking web into Asia

context to operators by including worldwide two-way communications, an emergency management framework, aircraft and pilot scheduling and real-time aircraft tracking in a single platform.

Within the Asian region, the company already has around 800 of its products in operation.

In a statement to Rotorcraft Asia Daily News, a company spokesperson

commented on how Spidertracks’ tracking service solutions will help operators tackle communications issues found in challenging environments.

‘Aircraft operators in Asia face challenges that are quite unique to their part of the world, and a simple solution like Spidertracks fits well to overcoming a lot of these challenges, like limited local communications infrastructure and high-risk remote area operations.

‘Spidertracks are looking to strengthen their support to existing customers in the region and develop new relationships at the show,’ the spokesperson added.

Furthermore, the spokesperson commented that within the region there has been a noticeable demand for products that offer more than aircraft tracking, citing Spidertxt 2.0.

This tracking service is designed to give rotorcraft operators enhanced real-time operational insight into their fleet. Further to an earlier version of Spidertxt, which supports two-way communication – aircraft to ground, ground to aircraft – Spidertracks has built the 2.0 system to run all communication through one channel.

On the company’s presence at the show, the spokesperson said: ‘Rotorcraft Asia presents an ideal opportunity for Spidertracks to connect with a number of existing and potential customers at a single show.

‘Singapore is ideally located as [it is] central to a number of our key markets like Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, and to some extent, as a New Zealand-based company the show is practically in our backyard.’By Helen Haxell

Photo: Spidertracks

STAND K18

The regional hub for Safran Helicopter Engines Asia is in Singapore and the company is optimistic that it will develop its customer base at Rotorcraft Asia 2017.

The company has had a base in Singapore for the last 25 years covering all of Southeast Asia, 18 countries in total, from India and South Korea down to the Philippines and Indonesia. Countries that are not covered by Safran’s Asian branch are Australia, China and Japan.

Regarding the Asian facility of Safran Helicopter Engines supporting the overall company’s activity, Mathieu Albert, managing director at Safran Helicopter Engines Asia and the company’s group country delegate in Singapore, told Rotorcraft Asia Daily News about regional support and the positive company outlook.

‘Safran Helicopter Engines in terms of support represents around 10% of the company’s global activity. We are in one of the most dynamic areas and what we are seeing over the last 25 years is that we are able to develop this further,’ he said.

From Singapore, Safran supports 242 operators and has 1,060 engines in operation within the region. The nature of business is split 50/50 between civil and military customers.

At this year’s, Rotorcraft Asia, the company will be displaying its Arrius 2R turboshaft which is on board the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X. The Arrius 2R is designed to deliver performance and power within the 500shp range, while improving safety and lowering pilot workload via the dual-channel FADEC, according to Safran. Built around a proven core, the twin-module configuration offers low maintenance and operating costs.

Furthermore, the latest offering from the company, the Arrano, which takes

flight on the H160, will also be present at the show. The engine utilises components produced using the additive manufacturing process.

Militarily speaking, Safran has a contract with the Republic of Singapore’s Air Force which operates 30 AS332/532 Super Pumas with Makila 1A1 engines, although the helicopter type is in the process of being replaced.

Intended for heavyweight rotorcraft, the Makila engine spans a power range of between 1,800 and 2,100shp.

At present, more than 2,200 Makila engines are in service worldwide. This fleet has logged in excess of ten million operating hours.

Within the region, Safran’s engines are being utilised for EMS, offshore, corporate and VIP missions. Countries that are growing in interest for the company are the likes of India, Indonesia, Thailand and South Korea.

Thirty percent of Safran’s regional customers are under by-the-hour support contracts.By Helen Haxell

Photo: Safran

Safran aims to build on Singapore base

RCA-17_day_1.indd 8 4/17/2017 3:38:02 PM

FLIES MORE. LIFTS MORE. COSTS LESS TO OPERATE. Whatever the mission, K-MAX® delivers performance you can bank on.

Contact Kaman for detailed specifications and availability.

Terry Fogarty (860) 243-7431 Terry.Fogarty@Kaman.com kaman.com/aerosystems

Visit us at Rotorcraft Asia, booth E01

Kaman Aerosystems is a division of Kaman Aerospace Group.

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DAY ONE ROTORCRAFT ASIA 2017 DAILY NEWS

Delivery driversIn the first instalment of a three-part overview of the Asia-Pacific civil helicopter sector, Rotorcraft Asia Daily News asks OEMs about their assessment of market trends in the region. By Gerrard Cowan

Asia-Pacific has rapidly developed in importance as a market for civil helicopters, with vast potential for growth across a large number of countries. Ahead of the inaugural Rotorcraft Asia show, Rotorcraft Asia Daily News spoke with a range of industry players about their views on the region and their plans for the coming years.

Asia-Pacific is a huge, multifaceted market, ranging from China to Australia, India to Papua New Guinea. Each of the countries in the region has differing demands and requirements: while some have highly developed infrastructures in areas like EMS and SAR, others are just beginning to develop these services.

As such, there is no simple way of summarising the challenges and opportunities of such a large

market. Nevertheless, it has been buffeted by many of the same headwinds that have struck other parts of the world in recent years.

This is perhaps most notable in the dramatic decline in demand in the oil and gas industry since the price collapse of 2014. In its fleet report for year-end 2016, Asian Sky Group said that between 2012 and 2014 ‘one of the driving forces behind the region’s fleet was helicopter deliveries to oil and gas service providers and operators’.

A stark decline began towards the end of 2015, the report states, and ‘utilisation of oil and gas production helicopters began to drop precipitously’.

In common with other parts of the world, areas outside of oil and gas have emerged as brighter sparks in the market over the past few years, including EMS, SAR,

VIP/corporate and utility. Each of these varies in importance depending on the country in question and the role of a company, whether manufacturer, operator or lessor.

Fleet growthOverall, the turbine civil helicopter fleet in Asia-Pacific stood at 3,924 platforms at the end of last year, according to Asian Sky Group. This represented a 4% increase on the number in the same period of 2015, which was a notably smaller rise than in previous years, the report said.

China was the major engine behind this growth, adding 85 helicopters over the course of the year, a rise of 21%. However, only half of the 34 countries covered saw year-on-year growth.

In unit terms, Australia, Japan, China and New Zealand dominate

the market, the report states, with about 61% of the fleet spread across the four countries.

Greater China – in which the report includes the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan – ‘is the fastest-growing market in the region’, Asian Sky Group states.

The growth of the fleet there last year was down to the founding of more than 20 new general aviation operators on the mainland, ‘often performing fire-fighting, powerline patrol, aerial survey and other multi-mission work’.

There is also set to be expansion in the corporate and EMS markets, according to the report, ‘most likely in conjunction with infrastructure development’. While there is a strong demand for SAR, this remains under the aegis of government agencies in the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

About 54% of the platforms across Asia-Pacific are in multi-mission use, the report states, with 10% in corporate, 9% in offshore, 7% in SAR and 5% in EMS. In terms of OEMs, the ‘big four’ of Airbus, Bell, Leonardo and Sikorsky account for almost

Bell has seen ‘significant’ interest in Asia-Pacific in the new Model 505. (Photo: Bell Helicopter)

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DAY ONE ROTORCRAFT ASIA 2017 DAILY NEWS

90% of the market, with Airbus standing at around 43% and the other three notching up about 47% between them.

Active countriesAirbus has customers right across the region in the helicopter segment, with Australia and New Zealand representing about half its market there, said Fabrice Rochereau, VP and head of sales for the Southeast Asia and Pacific region. Turning to Southeast Asia in particular, he said the most active countries are Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. India was also picking up, while there are a number of emerging opportunities across Asia-Pacific, he said.

‘We are working on each country of this region, because each of them [has] very good potential for us,’ he told Rotorcraft Asia Daily News.

Rochereau pointed to the single-engine market, saying the company’s H130 ‘is proving to be a best-seller in this region’, with uses in areas like heli-tourism, EMS and VIP. Airbus is also displaying a life-size, static mock-up of its new-generation medium-lift H160 at the show, its maiden appearance in Southeast Asia, the company says.

The region has taken a turn toward the parapublic domain in the past few years, according to Sameer Rehman, Bell Helicopter’s managing director for Asia-Pacific, pointing to EMS and SAR.

‘The oil and gas market, given where we are with the price of oil, has taken a bit of a back seat as far as generating sales in this region goes,’ he said.

Bell expects to see ‘quite a brisk level of activity’ in the region over the next three to five years, Rehman said. The Bell 505 JetRanger X was certified by Transport Canada Civil Aviation in December, and ‘has seen quite a bit of success’ in Asia-Pacific.

Of the 400 or so interested parties worldwide that have placed letters of intent and purchase agreements related to the helicopter, ‘we have seen a significant amount of activity in this part of the world’, he said.

The company has a number of what Rehman terms ‘anchor markets’, in which it ‘can always count on some level of growth’: these include the Philippines, Thailand, Australia, Indonesia and India. The company has seen activity with the 505 in these markets, as well as the Bell 429. These countries will contribute significantly to Bell’s growth looking forward, he predicted, particularly in parapublic areas like EMS, SAR and law enforcement.

‘We have very many interested parties this year on the VIP and corporate side as well, and I expect that to grow at a steady pace over the next few years,’ he added. ‘But I think in 2017 a very large percentage of our business will come from government-funded growth.’

Recovery trendSikorsky has seen similar trends to other OEMs in the region. The oil market is recovering very slowly, commented Christophe Nurit, its regional sales executive for Asia. However, ‘we are still seeing demand for our commercial products, particularly in search and rescue and emergency medical services’, he said.

He pointed to customers including the Korea Coast Guard, the China Ministry of Transport and the Japan Coast Guard. The company has sold and delivered more than 30 S-76Ds into Asia, while the S-92 fleet there has more than trebled.

There are now 125 S-76 platforms and over 35 S-92s throughout the region. The company has a long-standing relationship with China, Nurit said, which represents its largest commercial footprint in Asia.

Nurit said that especially against the backdrop of the depressed oil market, the company has ‘committed to ensuring [that] whenever our customers have a mission to fly, they choose Sikorsky’.

The company had invested in a series of customer support improvements and has expanded its support infrastructure in the region. It began the in-country warehousing of spare parts earlier in 2017, and opened a regional forward stocking location in Australia, ‘allowing us to deliver parts within hours rather than days’.

It has six customer support centres, including sites in Japan, India, Malaysia and Australia. The company established a

headquarters in Singapore in 2015, Nurit said, from the international office of Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky’s parent company.

Honeywell provides a range of equipment and services for helicopters worldwide, from the Aspire 200 SATCOM system to its Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) and Honeywell Avionics Protection Plan (HAPP).

Asia-Pacific is ‘a very important and growing market for us’, said Derek Lockett, sales director, Asia-Pacific. The company is setting up a regional headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which includes a new regional distribution centre, and has a number of manufacturing facilities throughout the region, in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

‘We’ve already made significant investments and we see that continuing,’ Lockett said.

While the overall market has taken a hit from the oil and gas slowdown, there are bright spots, Lockett said. There has been an uptake in certain helicopter types, which has benefited Honeywell. For example, the company has a high level of content on the Leonardo AW139, which has won a number of contracts in Australia.

Airbus describes the H130 as a ‘best-seller’ in the region. (Photo: Airbus Helicopters)

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DAY ONE ROTORCRAFT ASIA 2017 DAILY NEWS

Rotorcraft Asia & Unmanned Systems Asia 2017Tuesday, 18th April 2017Show Opening Hours18th April 2017 10:00am – 5:30pm19th & 20th April 2017 9:30am – 5:30pm

THERE IS STILL TIME TO REGISTER FOR OUR CONFERENCE AND FORUM!ROTORCRAFT ASIA 2017 CONFERENCE “INNOVATION IN ROTORCRAFT”This high-level conference features insightful Keynote Speeches and engaging Panel Discussions by top industry experts, followed by Networking Sessions, where delegates can interact directly with the conference speakers and subject specialists.

Register on site at the conference registration counters and join us on 19th April and 20th April!

Conference sessions19th April 20179:00am – 11:00am Keynote Sessions on “A View on Innovation I”11:30am – 12:45pm Panel Session 1: Innovation in MRO 2:00pm – 3:30pm Panel Session 2: Innovation in Mission Critical Services (MCS)4:00pm – 5:00pm Panel Session 3: Innovation in Training & Simulation

20th April 20179:00am – 11:00am Keynote Sessions on “A View on Innovation II” 11:00am – 1:00pm Panel Session 4: Innovation in Safety Management Systems (SMS) 2:00pm – 4:30pm Technical Site Visit to Bell Helicopter Asia, Seletar Aerospace Park (fully subscribed)

Unmanned Systems ForumThis inaugural edition of the Forum will focus mainly on the air dimension of drone applications. Immerse yourself in varied views from commercial users of aerial drones in different industries. This thought-provoking forum focuses on the future potential of having aerial drones performing a wider range of tasks. Register at the conference registration counter and join us at 2:00pm today!

Forum Programme18th April 20172:00pm – 2:30pm Opening Industry Overview2:30pm – 5:00pm Plenary Panel – UTMS & UAV applications: Now & the Future

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