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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NH90 Software Release 3 Completes Maiden Flight in Italy
NHIndustries flew the NH90 Block 1 configuration on July 21, 2026, introducing the first airborne Link 22 data link on a helicopter.
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Omni Táxi Aéreo Equips 33 AW139s with Honeywell RDR-7000
Omni Táxi Aéreo upgrades its entire Leonardo AW139 fleet with Honeywell’s IntuVue RDR-7000 weather radar for offshore operations in Brazil.
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Coulson Aviation Launches CFR HALO Fire Retardant
Coulson Aviation introduced CFR HALO, a new long-term fire retardant under USDA and CEREN qualification testing.
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ICON Aircraft Launches ICON Sense Amphibious Safety System
ICON Aircraft unveils ICON Sense at EAA AirVenture 2026, a gear-configuration warning system for the A5 amphibious aircraft.
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Lexus Flight Helicopter Service Launches in Japan August 2026
Lexus launches LEXUS Flight helicopter service in Japan on August 24, 2026, using a Leonardo AW169 operated by Aero Toyota.
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EASA Certifies Safran Arriel 2K Engine for Leonardo AW09
EASA granted type certification to the Safran Arriel 2K on July 8, 2026, advancing the Leonardo AW09 helicopter toward service entry.
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Airbus Delivers First NH90 Standard 2 to France
Airbus Helicopters delivered the first NH90 Standard 2 to France on July 30, 2026, the first of 18 special operations aircraft ordered.
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Bell 525 Relentless Completes Cold Weather and Icing Tests
Bell Textron validates the Bell 525 Ice Protection System in Canada and Michigan as FAA certification testing advances.
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THC Orders Eight More Airbus H145 Helicopters at Farnborough
The Helicopter Company orders eight Airbus H145s at Farnborough 2026, with deliveries set for 2027-2028 under a 120-aircraft framework deal.
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THC Orders 11 Leonardo AW139s and Up to 60 Bombardier Jets
The Helicopter Company placed a firm order for 11 AW139s and signed an LOI for up to 60 Bombardier jets at Farnborough…
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NPAS Orders Two More Airbus H135s, Fleet Renewal Reaches Nine
UK National Police Air Service expands its Airbus H135 order to nine helicopters under a six-year exclusive supply contract.
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Project SEAN Wins £1.52M for Electric Aviation in Scotland
Bristow-led consortium secures UK DfT funding for a 2027 electric aircraft demonstration across Scotland’s Highlands and Islands.
Related topics
Airbus · eVTOL & AAM · Military aircraft · Air forces · MRO · Certification · Engines
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