More civil helicopters now flying in PH
More civil helicopters are now flying in the Philippines, according to a report by the Asian Sky Group (ASG), signaling a growing demand for a vehicle that is suited to inter-island travel across the archipelago.
In its Helicopter Fleet Report 2024, ASG noted that four units were added to the country’s fleet last year, bringing the total to 111 helicopters.
The additional units were one new helicopter and three pre-owned aircraft.
A civil helicopter is used for nonmilitary purposes, such as private transport and emergency services for ambulance and rescue teams.
Some 40 of the helicopters in the Philippines are manufactured by American aerospace company MD Helicopters. The most popular model is MD500, which can be used as a five-person transport vehicle and utility helicopter.
An MD500 unit can cost around $1.9 million or about P105 million.
ASG said that MD500 has “compact design, agile handling and low operating costs,” which makes it “particularly well-suited for the Philippines, which is made up of numerous islands and complex terrain.”
Old models
However, the study pointed out that almost all of the MD helicopters were over two decades old.
While this means the country must modernize its aviation assets, ASG said “this also reflects the durability and ease of maintenance of the MD series.”
Next to MD, French manufacturer Airbus models were the most widely used with 35 units. Other helicopters were manufactured by Bell Textron, Leonardo, Robinson Helicopter Co. and Sikorsky Aircraft.
Across Asia-Pacific, the demand for helicopter use was also observed with the fleet growing by 64 units to 4,131 units last year.
“Despite continued operational challenges in some of the largest markets in the region, and the introduction of advanced air mobility options, demand for helicopter use remained strong during 2024,” the study noted.
Australia had the biggest fleet in the region with 1,016 helicopters, followed by China with 697 units and Japan with 670 units. Rounding up the top five were New Zealand with 568 units and India with 267 units.
Airbus is the region’s biggest player with a fleet of 1,717 helicopters. It delivered 51 new units last year, including 13 H145s and 13 H125s.
