Civil Helicopter Overview
A helicopter, or rotorcraft, is a type of aircraft in which the lift and thrust are supplied by rotors. This allows the helicopters to take off and land vertically, and to fly forward, backward, and laterally. Helicopters are used for several purposes such as medical services, corporate services, disaster management, law enforcement, oil and gas, and defense.
On the basis of type, helicopters are segmented into civil and military helicopters. Civil helicopters are the helicopters used for various purposes such as VIP or corporate transportation, offshore transportation, law enforcement, medical services, firefighting, general utility, and others. The military helicopters are the helicopters specifically used for defense purposes. The increasing demand from developing nations and increasing usage in firefighting and emergency medical services are driving the market growth. These helicopters range from the light single engine H125 to the 11-tonne H225 rotorcraft.
Civil intermediate single-engine H125 is well-suited for oil and gas support duties including pipeline patrols and light-lift cargo flights. Its reliability is proven in quick-turnaround missions, while the use of composite material for the helicopter’s airframe, rotors and main rotor head provide protection against corrosion. Strategic partnerships between major companies support the growth and expansion plans of the major companies during the forecast period. Concurrently, the major players invest heavily in R&D to develop a technology that is completely new in the market as compared to their competitors.
Market Size & Forecast
The global civil helicopter market is anticipated to record a CAGR of around 5% over the forecast period i.e. 2019-2027. The increasing demand for offshore transportation and demand for civil helicopters in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are some of the major factors driving the market growth.
Based on the applications, the civil helicopter market is segmented into airborne law enforcement, fire, forestry & wildlife conservation, Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS), Search and Rescue (SAR), and others. For example, Bristow Group, a US-based company, has been providing search and rescue services as an essential part of helicopter services in most of the countries, where it operates. The company has carried out more than 20,00o SAR missions. During these missions, this group had saved more than 10,700 people, with the help of its crew and helicopters. The company supplies a dedicated SAR helicopters and crew to cover various projects in remote areas. Also, the company has been a world leader in SAR for years, with skilled pilots and engineers, technical crew, and ground crew to conduct SAR operations safely and reliably. Attributed to such mission across the world, there will be a need for civil helicopters in the upcoming years.
Growth Drivers & Challenges
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Effectiveness in Reaching Remote, High Altitude, and Natural Disasters Affected Areas
The market has witnessed a considerable growth, attributed to its effectiveness in reaching remote, high altitude, and natural disasters affected areas. There has been a major focus on allowing civil helicopters to operate in remote areas and in areas where airports are under development or are completely non-existent. In such areas, helicopters are very useful as they have vertical take-off and landing capabilities. There is a large market for helicopters, which are being revived for public use by the government, such as transport, medical aid and law enforcement.
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Increasing Number of Natural Disasters
During any disasters, helicopters are the first to look into the overall affected regions and assist in the evacuation of injured people. With the high-speed wing-borne flights, helicopters assist people by delivering the needed humanitarian aid and providing support to infrastructure and repairs. The growing demand for medium helicopters, shift towards civil helicopters market, increased demand for technologically advanced combat helicopters, increasing upgrade of existing fleet, and tie-ups between helicopters manufacturers and aviation institutions are the key growth drivers for the global civil helicopter market.
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Increasing Crashes
The civil helicopter industry has witnessed recent crashes of prototype helicopter models over a few under development programs. These programs include the Bell 525 and the H225 Super Puma fleet programs. This is one of the major factors restraining the growth of the market.
Market Segmentation
Our-in depth analysis of the global civil helicopter market includes the following segments:
By Engine Type
- Single
- Twin
By Takeoff Weight
- 3,175 kg to 5700 kg
- 5,700 kg to 9000 kg
By Applications
- Airborne Law Enforcement
- Fire
- Forestry & Wildlife Conservation
- HEMS
- SAR
- Others
By Region
On the basis of region, the civil helicopter market is segmented into five major regions including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.
North America civil helicopter market is anticipated to witness a fast growth over the forecast period. This growth is on the account of increasing compliance for helicopters in the emerging economies. Similarly, the Asia Pacific market is estimated to witness a moderate growth. Concurrently, the countries such as China, Brazil and India have a huge market potential, as their governments are spending huge capital for developing their civil helicopter fleet. The economy of the developing nations has witnessed significant growth over the past few years. This is expected to result in increased procurement of civil helicopters especially in the developing nations such as China and India.
Global civil helicopter market is further classified on the basis of region as follows:
- North America (U.S. & Canada) Market size, Y-O-Y growth & Opportunity Analysis
- Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Rest of Latin America) Market size, Y-O-Y growth & Opportunity Analysis
- Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Russia, Rest of Europe) Market size, Y-O-Y growth & Opportunity Analysis
- Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Rest of Asia Pacific) Market size, Y-O-Y growth & Opportunity Analysis.
- Middle East and Africa (Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa, Rest of Middle East and Africa) Market size, Y-O-Y growth & Opportunity Analysis.
Top Featured Companies Dominating the Market
- Bell Helicopter Textron Inc
- Company Overview
- Business Strategy
- Key Product Offerings
- Financial Performance
- Key Performance Indicators
- Risk Analysis
- Recent Development
- Regional Presence
- SWOT Analysis
- AVIC Helicopter Company
- Airbus S.A.S
- Leonardo S.p.A
- Airbus S.A.S
- MD Helicopters Inc.
- Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd.
- Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
- Enstrom Helicopter Corporation
- Lockheed Martin Corporation
- Russian Helicopters JSC
- Robinson Helicopter Company
- Other Prominent Players
