Commercial helicopters' fleet of the leading countries 2019
Uses for commercial helicopters
Commercial helicopters serve a variety of functions across the world. Some notable uses are for: exploration in the oil and gas industry, medical evacuations from difficult to reach places, policing operations, tourism, charter flights, and filming for both film and television news. Excluded are military helicopters, which significantly outnumber commercial helicopters.
Commercial helicopter market
In 2017, worldwide sales of commercial helicopters amounted to just under five billion U.S. dollars. The largest manufacturer at that time was Airbus, closely followed by the Robinson Helicopter Company and Bell Helicopters. While the number of helicopters sold annually has fallen somewhat over the last five years, the overall fleet size is expected to grow over the mid- to long-term, reaching around 37,000 helicopters in 2036.