Eurocopter closed out the second day of Heli-Expo 2008 with new firm orders and options for more than 200 helicopters with a total value estimated in excess of $1 billion. The company’s firm orders alone were in the neighborhood $850 million, substantially more than the $732 million for all OEM firm commitments disclosed at Heli-Expo’07.
Eurocopter president and CEO Lutz Bertling had no difficulty smiling when he announced that of the total firm orders and options taken at show through the first two days, exactly 100 were for the company’s new EC 175, on public display for the first time in mockup form at the Eurocopter booth (No. 631). Based on the low-end
of reported pricing, the total value of the EC 175 sales booked here would easily top the $750 million mark.
While Eurocopter was obviously the order-book leader at this year’s Heli-Expo, that’s not to say the OEM was the only company reporting orders that made the registers ring nicely.
AgustaWestland announced sales agreements for 76 helicopters worth about $470 million during the first two days of Heli-Expo. Broken down by model, the list includes 30 A109 Grands, 18 AW139s, 14 A119Ke helicopters and 14 A109 Powers.
MD Helicopters on Tuesday announced firm orders for five MD 902 helicopters in emergency medical service guise to a California hospital. If options are realized, the deal would call for a delivery total of 10 MD 902s in the next seven years. The estimated value of the firm-order contract is about $22 million.
While Sikorsky didn’t provide HAI Convention News with an official two-day tally, it announced the combined sale of 16 S-92s and four S-76C++s, worth an estimated $317 million, to PHI, Evergreen and VIH.
A Bell Helicopter spokesman said the Fort Worth, Texas-based manufacturer is “extremely pleased” with sales here at Heli-Expo, but declined to release any hard figures. He said the company will release the total sales logged here in Houston later this week. Bell has issued press releases highlighting sales to three operators at the show, accounting for 10 helicopters worth an estimated $26 million.
Based on announced firm orders and options, the major helicopter makers combined inked deals for helicopters here worth an estimated $1.83 billion.
