Russian helicopter fleet balances out

The Russian helicopter fleet continues to grow. A total of 2,605 helicopters were listed in the national register of civil aircraft in early 2015, 129 more than the year before (a growth of 5.2% year-on-year).

Russia’s Helicopter Industry Association (HIA) puts the growth down to deliveries of foreign-made helicopters, mainly in the light and medium segments. This trend has been observed for several years now. As a result, the share of heavy helicopters in the Russian fleet has come down to match that of the medium and light segments combined.

The year 2013 holds an as-yet-unbeaten record in the number of foreign helicopters delivered to Russia, HIA says. Back then, foreign deliveries grew by nearly 50% year-on-year, translating to 145 airframes delivered. Economic factors slowed down this growth in 2014: only 121 foreign helicopters were delivered, indicating a drop of about 17% year-on-year (there were also deliveries of three AgustaWestland AW139s license-built at the Tomilino, Moscow Region factory). Nevertheless, the 2014 foreign-made deliveries were still more than 20% up on the 2012 levels.