Great expectations

has issued a positive market forecast for helicopter engines, predicting in excess of 15,000 helicopter deliveries for the next 10 years.

The market forecast, issued 22 February, shows a slight increase on the company's market forecast in February 2008.

Ken Roberts, president of the Rolls-Royce Helicopter Engine business, said: ‘The projection of deliveries in the short term shows that the industry will not escape the economic downturn, but will remain quite resilient. The market will exhibit strong demand by 2013, indicative of its underlying strength.’

The Rolls-Royce market forecast projects deliveries of more than 15,000 turbine helicopters, valued at around $130bn (£89bn) for the airframes and around $12bn for engines between 2009 and 2018.

The civil market forecast has increased by five per cent compared to the previous year’s projection, primarily due to new entry-level turbine helicopters.

The market units now stand at around 9,000 civil helicopters to be delivered between 2009 and 2018, with an overall airframe value estimated to be about $26bn and engine value around $4bn.

Rolls-Royce also expects approximately 6,000 new military helicopter deliveries during the 10-year period, with an airframe value of around $104bn and installed engine value of around $8bn.