Hong Kong business aviation consulting firm Asian Sky Group (ASG), along with Asian Sky Media, has released its Asia Pacific Civil Helicopter Fleet Report YE (year end) 2019 to coincide with HAI Heli-Expo in Anaheim, California (Jan. 28 to 30).

This is the seventh consecutive year ASG has produced the report, which features a detailed breakdown of the Asia-Pacific civil (turbine) helicopter fleet by fleet size, replacement cost, mission segments, size categories and OEM. The YE 2019 report includes updated market data and analysis on the following:

• Offshore oil-and-gas operators, reflecting the continued impact of the oil-and-gas downturn on the industry;
• the helicopter leasing market, showcasing the leased fleet by lessor and operator; and
• the growing emergency medical services (EMS) market.

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With growing interest in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and urban air mobility (UAM), this year’s report covers each topic focusing on emerging technologies in Asia. These special features are courtesy of the Vertical Flight Society, sharing the latest eVTOL news in Asia, and law firm HFW discussing the challenges and prospects of UAM in the region.

Several companies also shared insights on the market and the latest trends in their respective industry segments. Lease Corporation International (LCI) speaks on the latest developments from the lessor and why the leasing sector is growing. Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) breaks down the maintenance support it offers, along with its financial solutions. Spectrum Aeromed, designer and developer of air ambulance medical interiors for fixed- and rotary-wing, shares an update on its Life Flight Network. And, Safran Helicopter Engines discusses the company’s Aneto-1K engine fitted on the Leonardo AW189K.

Highlights of the report include:

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• The Asia-Pacific civil turbine helicopter fleet stood at 4,373 units at the end of 2019, a year-over-year (y-o-y) growth rate of two percent from the 4,289 units at the end of 2018. The region has witnessed a compounded y-o-y growth of four percent over the past five years, with an addition of nearly 800 units since 2014. However, the fleet, which was showing promising y-o-y growth until 2018, showed signs of dampening demand in 2019. Fleet growth is expected to continue in 2020, although slightly less with a forecasted 1.5 percent y-o-y growth.
• The growth rate slowed down in 2019, as the fleet experienced a significant increase in the number of deductions from 2018. This reflects a maturing market in the region. Notably, Mainland China’s fleet growth rate slowed in 2019. After experiencing 10 percent y-o-y growth in 2018, the fleet’s growth slowed to y-o-y six percent net growth (41 helicopters). This is the first year since 2009 that this market’s growth has fallen to a single-digit percentage.
• Overall, the region saw 84 net additions made up of 121 new deliveries and 115 pre-owned additions, offset by 152 deductions. Fewer new and pre-owned deliveries were made into the region in 2019, which also witnessed a higher number of deductions compared with 2018.
• By year end, more than half (53 percent) of the fleet was utilized for multi-mission purpose. The remaining fleet is dispersed among corporate (eight percent), law enforcement (eight percent), charter (eight percent), offshore (seven percent), EMS (six percent), SAR (six percent), private (two percent) and training (one percent) mission segments. Helicopters used for charter purposes saw the greatest number of additions in 2019, a trend that continued from 2018. Twenty-six more helicopters were used for charter in 2019, compared with the previous year. Charter operators not only act as a ferry service for passengers but also work in the tourism segment offering scenic tours and luxury VIP experiences. The biggest addition of charter aircraft was in Australia and New Zealand where tourism activities are popular. The largest reduction was seen in the offshore O&G segment, which continued its decline from previous years. The offshore segment saw 20 deductions to its fleet.
• Airbus, Bell and Leonardo remained the top three OEMs in the Asia-Pacific regions with 42 percent, 27 percent, and 11 percent market shares, respectively. Leonardo performed the best in terms of net additions, with an increase of 34 units compared with 2018. Sikorsky saw the most net deductions, with 13.
• Single and medium helicopters continue to dominate the market in 2019 with 52 percent and 24 percent market shares, respectively.

“2019 marked yet another challenging year for the rotary industry in the Asia-Pacific region which seems to be a recurring theme, with operators, lessors and service providers being asked annually how they are ‘dealing’ with the current market conditions,” said ASG managing director, Jeffrey Lowe. “While the fleet witnessed growth, the rate was much less than in recent years as this year saw more deductions than before. Still, all is not grim, and you’ll see that illustrated throughout this report.”

Hard copies of the 2019 edition of the Asia Pacific Civil Helicopter Fleet Report will be available at HAI Heli-Expo (Lobby B) in Anaheim, California (Jan. 28 to 30). Digital copies can be downloaded at https://www.asianskymedia.com/civil-helicopters.