Honeywell Forecasts 4,000 New Helicopter Deliveries Over the Next Five Years

In its 21st annual "Turbine-Powered Civil Helicopter Purchase Outlook," Honeywell forecasts 4,000 new civilian-use helicopters will be delivered from 2019 to 2023, marginally lower than the 4,200 cited in the five-year forecast from 2018.

A recent Honeywell survey found about 20 percent of North American respondents said their helicopter fleet utilization is expected to increase over the next 12 months — higher than the global rate of 14 percent. Those companies also said their purchase plans are stronger from law enforcement and oil and gas operators, but significantly lower from corporate operators. Overall, a greater proportion of planned new helicopter purchases are for intermediate/medium twin-engine models and a lower proportion for light twin-engine models than in 2018. Deliveries of light single-engine and heavy twin-engine planned purchases are about the same as last year.

Despite respondents having a slightly less positive view of the global economic outlook in this year’s survey compared with 2018, new helicopter platforms will support an expected 3 to 4 percent annual growth rate in overall deliveries. The predicted increase in deliveries signals an overall healthy helicopter market poised for moderate growth.