HI Uplift: Airbus marks Super Wednesday

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by Mike Stones
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Airbus marked its very own Super Wednesday this week with the publication of its first quarter results. On the same day, Airbus Helicopters revealed it had signed a contract with Greece’s Hellenic Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection for the purchase of eight H215 helicopters to fight wildfires in the country.

Let’s start with the numbers. The manufacturer’s first quarter (Q1) 2025 financial results confirmed 10% year-over-year (YoY) growth in revenue from its helicopters segment at €1.6bn ($1.8bn). Airbus delivered 51 helicopters during the quarter, one more than 50 in the same period of last year.

Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) also saw a 10%YoY improvement to $88.3m. Airbus logged 100 net orders spread across its portfolio in Q1. That took the manufacturer’s Q1 order book total to $1.6bn – up 15% on the same period last year. (At the Verticon event in Dallas in March, Airbus revealed 60 pre-firm orders and 55 commitments from customers worldwide from a variety of platforms. It also unveiled the new H140 light twin-engine helicopter, an upgrade of the H135, designed for emergency medical services (EMS), passenger transport and private and business aviation markets).

‘Ramping up production’

Guillaume Faury, CEO, Airbus claimed the latest results showed the progress the firm was making on its priorities across the business. “We are ramping up production in line with our plan but the delivery profile will be backloaded, reflecting the specific supply chain challenges we are facing this year,” he said.

Alongside Q1 results, Airbus also revealed that its H160 had won certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China earlier this month, enabling deliveries to begin in China. Overall, Airbus reported 6% lift in Q1 revenues totalling $15.3bn plus an 8% YoY improvement in EBIT to reach $797m.

H215 firefighting operators

But financial results was not the only news from Airbus on its Super Wednesday. The manufacturer also unveiled a new contract with the Hellenic Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection to buy eight heavy, twin-engine H215 helicopters to fight wildfires in Greece. The contract also includes an option for an extra two aircraft.

The deal follows a tender conducted by the Project Preparation Facility of Growthfund (the National Fund of Greece) on behalf of the ministry. The contract will be based on a government owned contractor operated (GO-CO) basis. This will see Airbus Helicopters partnering with H215 firefighting operators Airtelis and SAF Hélicoptères to provide technical and operational support.

The new H215 helicopters are an important weapon in Greece’s battle to combat fatal climate crisis related wildfires, which have ravaged large areas of the country, according to Panagiotis Stampoulidis, deputy CEO of Growthfund.

‘Largest contract signed’

“This is the largest contract signed under the ‘Aegis’ National Programme to bolster the Civil Protection mechanism in Greece with modern equipment, and we are delighted that the Project Preparation Facility of Growthfund swiftly concluded this tender with transparency and efficiency,” Stampoulidis.

Airbus Helicopters has partnered with the civil and parapublic and military sectors for more than 20 years. The Hellenic Fire Brigade operates two Super Pumas and the Hellenic Air Force operates 12 Super Pumas.

“Wildfires have burned on average three to five million square kilometres globally in recent years with significant environmental consequences,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. The H215 is used around the world for firefighting missions and can drop more than 4t of water at a time.

“Relying on experienced operators, such as Airtelis and SAF Aerogroup, is exactly what the French Securité Civile does,” added Even. “Airbus Helicopters has been a long-standing provider of helicopters for essential missions in the country and together with our GO-CO partners, we are sure that the H215 will be a vital and reliable asset.” he said.

So, Wednesday really did turn out to be a day to remember for Airbus.

 

HI Uplift Dashboard: Helicopters for sale

Multi engine

  • Total for sale/lease: 278 – two fewer than last week
  • Percentage for sale/lease: 3.71
  • Absorption rate: 3.9 months
  • Total fleet: 7,485 – five more than last week.

Single engine

  • Total for sale/lease: 422 – two fewer than last week
  • Percentage for sale/lease: 3.65
  • Absorption rate: 3.85 months
  • Total fleet: 11,562 – one more than last week.

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Source: Amstat, May 2nd, 2025.

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