Helicopters and Rotorcraft: Latest News
Helicopters do the flying that fixed-wing aircraft cannot: offshore energy, emergency medical services, search and rescue, firefighting, utility and police work, corporate transport, and the bulk of military tactical airlift.
The market is dominated by four civil manufacturers — Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo, Bell and Sikorsky — with Robinson in the light segment, and by the same names plus Boeing on the military side. This page gathers every AirPro News story on rotorcraft, newest first.
What we watch
- Civil programmes and orders. The Airbus H125, H145, H160 and H175; Leonardo’s AW139, AW169 and AW189; Bell’s 407, 429 and 525; Sikorsky’s S-92 and S-76 — and the offshore, EMS and VIP operators who order them.
- Military rotorcraft. The US Army’s future vertical lift programmes, Apache, Black Hawk and Chinook production and upgrades, NH90 and Tiger fleets in Europe, and the export campaigns for each.
- Certification and safety. New type and variant certifications, airworthiness directives and the safety programmes run by operators and regulators.
- MRO and support. Engine and dynamic-component support, PBH contracts, and the independent maintainers that keep offshore and utility fleets flying.
- What replaces the helicopter. Tiltrotors, compound designs and the eVTOL aircraft that aim at helicopter missions in cities and offshore.
Latest helicopter coverage
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Bell 505 Selected for US Marine Corps Autonomous Logistics Program
Bell Textron partners with Near Earth Autonomy to provide Bell 505 airframe for USMC MARV-EL Increment 2 uncrewed logistics aircraft program.
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DART Aerospace Gains TCCA Certification for Fire Attack System Upgrades
DART Aerospace receives TCCA certification for Fire Attack System Model 304 upgrades on Medium Bell helicopters, improving safety and night operations.
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TAI Delivers First T625 Gökbey Helicopter to Turkish Land Forces
Turkish Aerospace Industries delivered the first T625 Gökbey helicopter to the Land Forces, advancing domestic aerospace and defense self-sufficiency.
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Bell and KAI Partner on South Korea’s HSMUH Rotorcraft Program
Bell and Korea Aerospace Industries sign MOU to develop MV-75 tiltrotor solutions for South Korea’s High Speed Medium Utility Helicopter program.
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Safran Opens New Helicopter Engine Facility in Germany
Safran Helicopter Engines launches a 3,000 m² maintenance facility in Norderstedt, Germany, supporting 2,300 engines across Europe with carbon-neutral goals.
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USMC Awards Contract for Sikorsky Robinson Autonomous Cargo Helicopter
The US Marine Corps awarded Sikorsky and Robinson Unmanned $15.5M for the R66 TURBINETRUCK autonomous cargo helicopter under the MARV-EL program.
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SilverLight AR-1 First US Factory-Built Gyroplane Compliant with FAA MOSAIC
SilverLight Aviation’s AR-1 gyroplane is the first US-made factory-built aircraft meeting FAA MOSAIC and ASTM standards, with deliveries starting October 2026.
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SureFlight Opens New Utah Facility Expanding Aircraft Completions
SureFlight launches a new Utah facility near Spanish Fork Airport, doubling interior capacity and planning full-service West Coast expansion amid airport growth.
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MD Helicopters Receives FAA Approval for MD 530N and Super D20R Upgrades
MD Helicopters secures FAA certification for MD 530N and Super D20R upgrade kits, enhancing legacy rotorcraft power, payload, and performance.
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Bell Textron Secures Orders for Three Bell 429 VIP Helicopters in Europe
Bell Textron announces three Bell 429 helicopter orders for VIP operators in the UK and Estonia, highlighting demand for luxury twin-engine rotorcraft.
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NAHEMA Signs Contract for NH90 Block 2 Architecture Study
NAHEMA and NHIndustries initiate a two-year study to upgrade the NH90 helicopter with modular avionics and crewed-uncrewed teaming for future operations.
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F/LIST Expands Into Corporate Helicopter Interiors with Airbus Partnership
F/LIST broadens its aerospace interior offerings by entering the corporate helicopter market with Airbus, showcasing new tech at AIX 2026.
Related topics
Airbus · eVTOL & AAM · Military aircraft · Air forces · MRO · Certification · Engines
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