Airtelis orders three H215s

Airtelis has placed a firm order for three Airbus H215s with an option to extend it to five.

The French operator worked with lessor Nova Capital Group to secure the deal. The helicopters will be used for aerial work operations, supporting powerline construction and maintenance. They will join Artelis’s existing fleet of two H225s.

Airtelis CEO Stephane Delaye said: “We are pleased to be adding a new member of Airbus Helicopters’ Super Puma family to our fleet. The H215’s load capacity, cost-effectiveness and OEI performance are ideal for the highly technical aerial work missions that we perform.”

The order will be financed through a sale and leaseback transaction with Nova Capital, which will act as the operating lessor for the aircraft. Nova Capital focuses exclusively on the onshore market, with a focus on EMS, governmental support, firefighting and arial work and transport.

Olivier Piot, CEO of Nova Capital Group, said: “We are pleased and excited to be the first helicopter lessor worldwide to add in the coming weeks the H215 to its fleet. We are delighted to support Airtelis’ exceptional recent business growth, introducing this new versatile and highly efficient asset in our portfolio.”

Stable market

Airbus has had steady business in France for the last several years. The country’s civil and parapublic market have remained steady, with orders coming in across all market segments including private aviation, aerial work and EMS.

The number of Airbus helicopters ordered for aerial work operations has fluctuated between 100 and 130 aircraft per year for the last couple of years. The manufacturer saw a peak in of 170 helicopters ordered in 2016 and 2017 is showing a “similar level of activity”, it told Helicopter Investor. The biggest market for these orders are North Asia and Western Europe.