Eurocopter boosts its sales by 12 percent in 2011

 Posted by- Neelam Mathews

Jan 26, 2012

Growing its international footprint and developing services businesses and optimizing internal operations led Eurocopter to generate a record high annual turnover in 2011.

The deliveries of 503 rotary-wing aircraft in 2011, along with Eurocopter’s enhanced support and services activities, generated a turnover of 5.4 billion euros – representing a growth of 12.5 percent from the previous year. Deliveries included the 1,000th Dauphin, received by Indian operator Pawan Hans; the 1,000th EC135, provided to the German ADAC automobile club – one of Eurocopter’s longest-standing customers; and the 100th EC225, accepted by the Bristow Group.

New helicopter orders also picked up last year, with the 457 net bookings representing a value of 4.7 billion euros, compared with the 346 helicopters sold in 2010. The year’s business included initial firm orders for the new EC175; major bookings for the EC225 from CHC Helicopter, CITIC Offshore Helicopter Co., Bristow Helicopters and RTE; the continuation of orders from the U.S. Army for the UH-72A Lakota; and the first large booking for Eurocopter’s enhanced EC145 T2 helicopter version from Germany’s DRF Luftrettung.

“We marked many key achievements during the past 12 months, which were the results of our company’s across-the-board strategy to invest, innovate and improve as we continue Eurocopter’s industry leadership,” said President & CEO Lutz Bertling.

Deliveries of new production helicopters represented 51 percent of Eurocopter’s 2011

consolidated turnover, while support and services continued its growth to account for 38 percent of the total. The remaining 11 percent was generated by development and other activities.

Order bookings

Export sales outside of Eurocopter’s home country nations remained the primary source of business, at 77 percent of total bookings in 2011. Civil contracts accounted for 68 percent of the order volume, with military sales representing the remaining 32 percent.

Bookings by product range

The strongest growth in 2011 sales was registered by Eurocopter’s Ecureuil/Fennec/EC130

Family and the EC145:

· EC120 Colibri: 13

· Ecureuil/Fennec/EC130 Family: 238

· EC135: 42

· EC145 (including the UH-72A Lakota): 104

· Dauphin/Panther/EC155 Family: 21

· EC175: 4

· Super Puma/Cougar EC225/EC725 Family: 35

For the EC175 and EC225, several multi-year contracts were signed, for which the customers’ bookings will be logged based on annual purchase orders.