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Hong Kong business aviation
consulting firm Asian Sky Group (ASG) has released its highly-anticipated Year
End 2016 Asia Pacific Civil Helicopter Fleet Report.
This is the fourth
consecutive year ASG has produced the report and it again features a detailed
breakdown of the Asia-Pacific helicopter fleet (excluding pistons) by fleet
size, replacement cost, mission segments, size categories and OEM. The 2016
report also includes a section on offshore activity, discussing the continued
impact of the oil and gas downturn on the civil helicopter market and an
in-depth section on the Asia Pacific’s fastest-growing civil helicopter market,
China.
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The newest addition to this
year’s report is another first by ASG - a section on the helicopter leasing
market in the Asia-Pacific Region. No doubt of keen interest to all readers,
this new section examines the reasons for leasing, types of leases available and
provides a breakdown of leased helicopters by lessor and country.
As with all ASG
publications, the Year End 2016 Asia Pacific Civil Helicopter Fleet Report
spotlights a number of operators and OEMs in the region. For this issue, ASG had
the opportunity to speak with helicopter operator HeliKorea, China Southern
Airlines General Aviation Limited and the Leonardo Company. Also spotlighted are
the Leonardo AW169 and AW189 which are highlighted for their multi-mission
configurations and popularity within the region. |
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Highlights of the report:
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The Asia-Pacific civil
helicopter fleet (excluding pistons) numbered 3,924 at the end of 2016, an
increase of 4% over year end 2015. This increase is notably smaller than in
past years, with only half of the 34 countries experiencing y-o-y growth.
China remained the region’s growth driver - as it has for the past few years
- adding 85 helicopters in 2016, an increase of 21% y-o-y.
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The Asia-Pacific
region’s fleet continues to be largely positioned in four countries. In unit
terms, 61% of the helicopter fleet is based in Australia, Japan, China and
New Zealand. Australia represents the largest market overall and is the
largest market for Bell, followed by Japan, the largest market for Airbus
and Leonardo, and China, the largest market for Sikorsky. New Zealand
follows these three, with the largest market for MD.
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In terms of Replacement
Cost, the “big four” OEMs (Airbus, Bell, Sikorsky and Leonardo) collectively
make up nearly 90% of the market, with Airbus at 43% and the other three
making up 47%.
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Today, the Asia-Pacific
fleet includes a wider variety of helicopter mission profiles than ever
before, with 54% of the fleet in multi-mission use, followed by 12% for
corporate and private, 9% for offshore operations, 7% for SAR and 5% for
EMS. In replacement cost terms, offshore has become the largest segment,
with 21% of the fleet, followed by SAR at 11%.
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A more recent shift in
the Asia-Pacific fleet has been the usage by local operators of aircraft
dry-leased from dedicated helicopter leasing companies. By yearend 2016,
Asia Pacific’s operators were using more than 170 helicopters dry-leased
from third parties, with a replacement cost value of approximately US $1.5
billion.
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Australia had the
largest number of leased helicopters at 60, operating in a variety of roles
from offshore, EMS and multi-mission. India follows with 28, used mainly in
the offshore segment and Indonesia is next with 25, with the majority used
for multi-mission operations.
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The largest lessors in
the Asia-Pacific region include Milestone Aviation Group, Waypoint Leasing,
Australia & New Zealand Bank (ANZ), Airwork NZ, Lease Corporation
International (LCI), and Eagle Copters.
“With each issue of the Asia
Pacific Civil Helicopter Fleet Report, ASG better understands the data and
information that readers and the industry need,” says ASG Managing Director,
Jeffrey Lowe.
“The report is constantly evolving and the Helicopter Leasing Market Overview is
an example of that. This a section the industry will find insightful, as this
data is limited and often inaccessible. Overall, the Report continues to provide
relevant information and has become an indispensable source on business aviation
within the Asia-Pacific region.”
Download a copy of the ASG Asia Pacific Region Civil Helicopters Report |
