In a market forecast released this week in Shanghai, consulting firm Avia-Tek is predicting 65 civil helicopter deliveries in China this year, which should bring the fleet to 435. The growth in 2012 was “ 3.7 percent higher than the most-probable scenario of the previous year’s edition.” As a result, the fleet stood at 370 as of Dec. 31, 2012, compared to 305 one year earlier. The most urgent need to be filled is now for “intermediate, twin-turbine, and heavy lift helicopters,” Matthieu Devoisselle, one of Avia-Tek's founding partners, added. Search and rescue is the priority from the Chinese government’s point of view, he explained. Currently the European OEMs are leading the turbine helicopter market in both value and absolute units, according to the study. Meanwhile, the piston market is dominated by Robinson and Sikorsky. “The market is still emerging and major shifts could occur as the OEMs make moves in China,” Todd Siena, also a founding partner, warned.