Airbus Helicopters’ H160 achieved order parity with the Leonardo AW139 in the civil and parapublic market last year as the new medium-twin contender gained traction against the segment’s long-term leader.
While Leonardo has yet to disclose its order totals for 2025, Airbus Helicopters says it booked 30 commitments for the H160 last year, a marked increase on the four orders received in 2024.
Airbus Helicopters has long billed the H160 as a challenger to the AW139, which has dominated sales of medium-class helicopters for years.
However, Leonardo is unlikely to stand idly by and watch its European rival eat into the market share for one of its best-selling products.
There are already rumours – strongly denied by the manufacturer – that a MkII version of the AW139 is in flight testing.
Unconfirmed reports suggest the updated variant will feature enhanced avionics and a new Pratt & Whitney Canada engine, potentially the developmental PW220.
Prior to the arrival of the H160 – which entered service in 2022 – the AW139’s only other rival was the Sikorsky S-76D, production of which ceased the same year.
Presenting the order and delivery totals to reporters on 26 January, Airbus Helicopters chief executive Bruno Even praised the H160’s “positive momentum” in the market.
Even says the platform now boasts customers “for all the key mission segments”, including law enforcement, public services and energy, with the H160 now flying offshore with PHI in the USA and Omni Taxi Aereo in Brazil.
Additionally, the airframer is developing the militarised M-model variant, having flown the first prototype in 2025.
Initially destined for all three branches of the French armed forces under the HIL programme, Airbus Helicotpers is also pursuing export opportunities for the medium-twin.
Even declines to comment on the progress of any sales campaigns, insisting the company does not “comment on tenders or commercial discussions”.
Nonetheless, he points to the “good progress” being made with the H160M’s flight-test campaign and the “strong momentum” in the defence market as nations look “renew some of their fleets” as reasons for optimism that sales will come.
However, its otherwise smooth service entry has been sullied by the 2 January ditching of an Omni-operated example off the Brazilian coast.
Meanwhile, the company continues “moving forward” with work on the H175M against a “clear development plan and roadmap” following receipt of a launch order from Spain in 2025 for six units. In total, the airframer took in 15 orders for the H175 last year.
In fact, a wider 100-helicopter commitment from the Spanish military – placed in late December – drove a bumper order performance for Airbus Helicopters last year.
In total, it booked 544 gross orders in 2025, beating the prior year figure of 455 units.
Standout performers included the H125 and H130 light singles, netting a combined 176 orders, and the H145, with 149 orders – the third successive year in which the light-twin has recorded over 100 commitments.
Those 149 orders include significant agreements with Spain (50) and Germany (20) for the military H145M.
Even predicts there will be more to come this year and with the swelling backlog, the airframer continues to invest in its production capacity to ramp up output, including a final assembly line at its plant in Columbus, Mississippi.
Even says the goal is to be building 140 H145s per year in the next two to three years against a delivery total of around 100 units in 2025.
“Considering we have decided to increase the industrial capacity to match the strong success [of the H145] we expect the momentum to continue in 2026 and the years to come.”
Last year also saw the launch of the H140 light-twin, which brought in 61 orders, while Airbus Helicopters also recorded 45 agreements for the H135 on which it is based. Although down slightly on the 59 units booked in 2024, the launch of the new model – three prototypes of which are now flying – does not yet appear to have cannibalised the H135’s market share, albeit service entry is not until 2028.
Rounding out the figures for 2025, Airbus Helicopters also won orders for 34 Super Pumas – H215s or H225s – and 34 NH Industries NH90s.
Deliveries stood at 392 helicopters, up on the 361 shipped a year earlier.
