Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

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In Rotortrade’s APAC Helicopter Market Report 2025, the preowned rotorcraft sales and maintenance provider found that Asia-Pacific operators’ primary focus is on harmonization of their fleets, optimizing the life cycle of their helicopters, and supportability, “particularly as OEM lead times extend and operating costs rise.”
There is a split between those with long-term experience operating helicopters, who tend to buy more preowned machines, and those in less mature markets. The latter prefer new helicopters as they face regulatory, financing, or capability constraints, according to Rotortrade.
The strongest growth in 2025 took place in India, Australia, and New Zealand. China and Southeast Asia “continue to evolve at a measured pace,” the company added.
“APAC is not a single market,” said Aurelien Blanc, Rotortrade’s executive director and APAC, Middle East, and Africa head of region. “It’s a spectrum of maturity, and the way you sell a helicopter changes completely depending on where each country sits on that curve. In APAC, even neighbouring countries operate under completely different rules, with very different levels of operational experience and capability.”
The spectrum of market maturity among Asia-Pacific countries “directly influences fleet strategy, procurement behavior, and openness to preowned aircraft.”
Limited helicopter infrastructure in Central Asia and Mongolia indicates a preference for new aircraft, but they are also transitioning from Russian to Western helicopter platforms.
Government-led procurement is evident in China and parts of Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, according to Rotortrade, along with strong regulatory oversight. “Fleet harmonization is underway, particularly in offshore and parapublic operations, but regulatory barriers continue to shape acquisition behavior.”
India is developing rapidly, with growing government support, including signing the Cape Town Convention and a leasing framework that “have materially improved the viability of leasing and structured financing.” Use cases range from offshore transport to pilgrimage flights and a growing VIP charter market.
In Indonesia, plans are underway to buy up to 200 helicopters for public service and disaster response missions, “illustrating how some APAC markets are still in a fleet-build phase, compared to others that are now mostly replacement-driven.”
Australia and New Zealand are the most mature helicopter markets in the Asia-Pacific. “Operators demonstrate strong technical capability, condition-based purchasing behavior, and high acceptance of preowned aircraft. Demand is overwhelmingly replacement-led.”
In terms of market share, based on JetNet data, Airbus leads with 36.5% of the turbine helicopter market, followed by Bell at 31.2% and Leonardo at 20.3%. Sikorsky has a 6.1% share, with MD Helicopters at 4% and Robinson Helicopter at 1.9%.
“As markets mature, preowned aircraft stop being a compromise and become the natural solution,” Blanc concluded.

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Rotortrade: Asia-Pacific Helicopter Operators Focus on Fleet Harmonization

Concludes that mature markets rely on buying preowned aircraft

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