Poor economy drives helicopter imports down

Foreign-made helicopter deliveries to Russia shrank significantly last year due to the difficult economic situation in the country. According to the HeliRussia 2016 organizers, only 37 rotorcraft were imported in 2015, the lowest figure since 2009 when 48 deliveries were made. Helicopter imports peaked in 2013 with 145 units followed by 121 deliveries in 2014.

Deliveries of the US Robinson light rotorcraft family were the hardest hit in 2015: only 11 got delivered, compared to 86 in 2014, a possible indication that the economic crisis primarily affected general aviation. On the other hand, seeing as 86 Robinsons were delivered in 2013, and in the preceding two years the company would annually deliver in excess of 60 aircraft to Russia, it is possible that the local market has reached a temporary saturation point, which also contributed to the 2015 trough.

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