Airbus Helicopters delivered 409 rotorcraft and logged gross orders for 350 helicopters (net: 335) in 2017. Although these figures are down on 2016, the OEM performed well in the heavy and super-medium segments. The company booked 54 orders from the Super Puma family and 19 orders for the super-medium H175, confirming them as bestsellers in their respective market segments. At the end of 2017, the overall backlog stood at 692 helicopters.

Last year saw major progress being made on new products, including the H160, first of the “H Generation”, with three prototypes now in flight-testing ahead of certification in 2019. The third of these prototypes has been painted and now features a striking 'carbon' livery designed as a nod to the Airbus A350 XWB MSN2 flight-test aircraft. Both aircraft are produced using advanced composite materials supplied by Airbus' long-term partner, Hexcel.