So far 2015 has been a difficult year for anyone in the rotorcraft industry, with military markets still flagging and the previously robust civil segment now similarly depressed. And even the oil and gas sector - for so long a cash-cow for helicopter manufacturers - has tanked this year on the back of falling crude prices. Airbus Helicopters, arguably the market leader in the civil and parapublic space, is not immune from the downturn, admits executive vice-president global business and services Dominique Maudet. The Marignane-headquartered manufacturer saw a drop in orders and deliveries between 2013 and 2014, and that has been replicated again this year, he says, with first quarter deliveries down to 62 units, against 74 for the same period a year earlier.
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