Market Trends of Latin America General Aviation Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the Latin America General Aviation Market according to our research experts:
The Helicopters Segment to Experience the Highest Growth During the Forecast Period
Helicopters are excellent for short destinations with no airport. Intelligently designed and highly adaptable to address a range of individual requirements, their capabilities allow access to remote areas and city centers, with the ability to land at helipads, hotels and even private properties. Air charter services have emerged as a potential gamechanger for commercial aviation. On this note, availing a helicopter charter service removes the stress of airports, traffic jams and public transport, while also eliminating the costs of overnight accommodation. Helicopters have become an indispensable aid for conducting rescue missions at remote locations with inaccessible terrain. Post a disaster, helicopters are deployed to gain an overall view of the situation in order to be able to mount a rescue operation in the most effective manner. The demand for helicopters, though facing a slight decline as compared to the demand during the period 2010-2015, is still strong owing to the emergence of new ownership and service models which has enabled market players to achieve sustainability.
The sustained demand for helicopters has encouraged OEMs to release new variants of their product portfolio to cater to the specific requirements of a broad clientele. For instance, in March 2019, Airbus helicopters, the helicopter manufacturing division of Airbus SE (Airbus), launched an improved version of the H145, featuring a unique five-bladed design. The company also secured 43 orders for its entire range of civil products, namely the H125, H130, H135, H145, H160, H175 and H225. Also, in April 2018, Airbus Helicopters received the first order from an undisclosed customer in Brazil, for a single unit of H160 for private and business aviation operations.
Brazil held the Highest Market Share in 2019
By mid-2019, Brazil had about 2,000 executive turboprops and jets, which connected about 1,225 municipalities across the country. Turboprop operators benefitted from the gaps in airport infrastructure and the challenging geography of the country. Since turboprops require short runways, the demand is high for these aircraft. Currently, turboprops account for over 60% of the executive aircraft fleet in Brazil. In 2019, 19 business jets were delivered in Brazil, as compared to 12 deliveries in 2018.
São Paulo, with about 500 registered helicopters and 700 flights per day, has the largest helicopter fleet in the world. The fleet is expected to further increase in the coming years, primarily due to the streets being highly congested and as people who can afford are opting for helicopters as a means of transportation for business operations. To support the growing fleet of helicopters, the city has developed appropriate infrastructure for the fleet, along with a dedicated helicopter traffic tower. In 2019, Leonardo's helicopter division secured five new orders from Brazilian customers, which were valued at nearly USD 33 million. The orders include three AW109 Trekker light twins, an AW109 GrandNew, and an AW169 intermediate twin. All three Trekker helicopters were ordered in VIP configuration. Leonardo estimated the latest order for the VIP-configured AW169 to bring the number of this version operating in Brazil to five before the end of 2019.
