During the first quarter of 2021, retail sales of pre-owned twin-engine helicopters dropped after two successive strong quarters. Toronto, Canada-based helicopter trading firm Aero Asset has released its first quarter 2021 Heli Market Trends report, summarising transactions during the period for 13 twin engine models in the light, medium and heavy categories.

“Comparing the first quarter of 2021 to 2020, the on-market supply of twin engine helicopter for sale decreased to pre-pandemic levels,” says Aero Asset VP of market research Valerie Pereira. “We saw a parallel decline in both transactions and supply.”

The absorption rate regressed in the first quarter following two consecutive quarters of improvement as the economy emerged from a pandemic-triggered economic trough. After four consecutive quarters of decline in the number of deals pending at various stages of transaction, the deal pipeline grew in the fourth quarter of 2020 and another 10 per cent in the first quarter of this year and is now back to pre-pandemic levels.

Light twin engine and heavyweight helicopter retail sales volume contracted slightly in the first quarter from the fourth quarter. Medium weight helicopter retail sales dropped by half in the first quarter after a strong uptick in the fourth quarter of 2020.

The most liquid preowned market in the first quarter was the Airbus H145. The H135, which tied at first place last quarter, slipped into fourth place. In the first quarter, five of the 13 helicopter markets in the lineup saw absolutely no preowned trades, mostly in the medium weight class.