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
-
US Approves $2.3B Black Hawk Sale to Norway for 21 UH-60M
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.3B sale of 21 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawks to Norway, replacing a prior HH-60W order.
-
T625 GÖKBEY Expands to Turkish Land Forces and Saudi Arabia
Turkish Aerospace Industries delivers GÖKBEY to Land Forces and signs a joint production MOU with Saudi Arabia in 2026.
-
Milestone Aviation Sells Three Airbus H225s to Kitz-Air
Milestone Aviation sells three Airbus H225 helicopters to Kitz-Air GmbH for aerial firefighting in Europe and South America.
-
Sikorsky Names First EU Black Hawk Parts Distribution Center
Sikorsky designates Prague-based ÄŒLS as its first EU distribution center for Black Hawk helicopter parts, serving 150+ regional operators.
-
SkyDrive SD-05 eVTOL to Launch in Australia by 2028
SkyDrive and Gold Coast Helitours sign LOI for up to five SD-05 eVTOL aircraft targeting Australia’s first eVTOL sightseeing service.
-
U.S. Army Awards Airbus Helicopters $140M UH-72B Lakota Contract
The U.S. Army awarded Airbus Helicopters a contract worth up to $140.7M for 12 UH-72B Lakota helicopters through 2030.
-
Bell Textron Expands Brisbane CRO Facility with Hydraulic Services
Bell Textron adds hydraulic MRO capabilities at its Brisbane facility, the first in APAC to offer dedicated hydraulic overhaul services.
-
Bell 505 Begins Aerial Policing Operations in Japan
Aichi Prefectural Police launched Bell 505 operations on Aug. 4, 2026, the first law enforcement use in Asia-Pacific.
-
RCAF Integrates First CT-153 Juno Under FAcT Program
Canada’s RCAF activates its first CT-153 Juno helicopter at Southport, launching the 11.2B CAD Future Aircrew Training program.
-
US Army Awards $10B Flight School Next Contract to Team M1
The U.S. Army awarded a $10B, 26-year contract to Team M1 to train up to 1,500 helicopter pilots annually using the Robinson…
-
Boeing to Build Europes Largest AH-64E Apache Service Center in Poland
Boeing, WZL-1, and WCBKT sign offset agreements to establish an AH-64E Apache MRO hub in Lodz, Poland.
-
Collins Aerospace Wins $472M U.S. Army Chinook Avionics Contract
The U.S. Army awarded Collins Aerospace up to $472M to modernize CH-47 Chinook avionics with open architecture systems.
Related topics
Airbus · eVTOL & AAM · Military aircraft · Air forces · MRO · Certification · Engines
Get the week’s key announcements every Monday: join the AirPro News newsletter. Sending news on this topic? Here is how.
