Leonardo’s helicopter orders rose 28% year over year in the first nine months, and the business segment posted a 5.4% revenue increase during the period. Announcing the figures yesterday during the company’s third-quarter earnings presentation, Leonardo CFO Giuseppe Aurilio explained that helicopters accounted for the company’s second-highest growth area year to date, following only the defense electronics segment.
Leonardo’s current helicopter backlog of €16.9 billion ($18.9 billion) was largely driven by the UK New Medium Helicopter (NMH) contract, something Aurilio described as a “milestone of [Leonardo’s] commercial plan for 2026.” In March, the UK Ministry of Defence awarded a £1 billion ($1.34 billion) contract for Leonardo to build and deliver 23 medium-lift, multirole AW149s from its base in Yeovil, England. These are expected to be delivered between 2030 and 2033.
Through September 30, the company has sold 131 helicopters worth €4.3 billion ($4.8 billion), up from 102 in the same period a year ago. According to Leonardo, not only did this growth exceed its previous expectations, but it has been marked by a shift towards more medium and AgustaWestland-family units.
This mix includes more twin-engine AW139s, AW149s, and AW189s, which Aurilio said was “more favorable and less exposed to light helicopters.” Year-to-date deliveries also reached 120, up from 115 last year.
Concluding that this “very important commercial success…is not short-term,” Leonardo shared that its helicopter focus is now on profitability improvement. It also highlighted a growing impact from customer service activities, where it noted that margins are higher as the aircraft mix shifts.
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