China will need about 500 helicopters by the end of 2015, according to Eurocopter on June 18, reported by The Economic Observer. It is anticipated that China will need more than 1,000 helicopters over the next decade as the nation deregulates and opens its low-altitude airspace.
The Eurocopter Group now is a wholly owned subsidiary of European Aeronautic, Defense & Space Co. (EADS) and is the world's largest helicopter maker. Airbus S.A.S., another big aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, is also one of the world's largest aircraft manufacturers.
The Eurocopter Group now is a wholly owned subsidiary of European Aeronautic, Defense & Space Co. (EADS) and is the world's largest helicopter maker. Airbus S.A.S., another big aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, is also one of the world's largest aircraft manufacturers.
In 2011, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world's number one helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of EUR5.4 billion, 457 new orders and a 43 percent market share in the civil and paramilitary markets.
The turnover of Eurocopter China in 2011 reached EUR58 million, surging 70% on a year-on-year basis. It won EUR300 million worth of orders in China last year, capturing 40% of the Chinese market share.
Jiang Delong, Sales Director for Asia-Pacific Region of Eurocopter, claims that with the gradual opening of China's the low-altitude airspace, China's appetite for helicopters will grow rapidly.
It is estimated by relevant professional institution that there are more than 150,000 potential users of private aircraft in China. Private aircraft mainly consist of business aircraft and helicopters. According to conservative estimations, helicopters possess about 20% of all private aircraft. The potential users of private helicopters in the country currently add up to 30,000.
If 10% of potential users were to buy helicopters, the sales of private helicopters would reach 3 thousand, the above-mentioned institution predicted. China is expected to overtake the United States as the world's largest private aircraft market 10 years from now. China Aviation Industrial Helicopter Co., Ltd. (Avicopter) once forecasted that the year of 2012 marks the beginning of China's prospering private aircraft business. There will be a market upsurge in China's private aviation industry.
The reason for the market upsurge in China's helicopter market is that the government is opening and deregulating low-altitude airspace step by step. In 2010, the State Council and the Central Military Commission released and distributed the "Opinions of the State Council and the Central Military Commission on Deepening the Reform of China's Low-altitude Airspace Management," pointing out for the first time that the opening and deregulating of low-altitude airspace will be promoted and carried out in three stages as experimenting, implementing, and deepening in the coming decade in step-by-step progress.
According to the "Opinions," by the year of 2015, Beijing, Lanzhou, Jinan, Nanjing, and Chengdu will be selected as trial areas for implementing the low-altitude airspace reforms. Besides, the trial job on integrated reforms of general aviation will be conducted in the central south China region and the northeast China region.
Li Jiaxiang, head of Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), also points out that the government will also expand the experimenting of opening and deregulating airspace below 3,000 meters, seeking to achieve a full and comprehensive opening by the year of 2015.
Source: http://www.wcarn.com
