S-92 In Focus: A Census of the Heavy Helicopter Sector

Recent months have been a busy time for the offshore helicopter sector as the financial distress of helicopter owners and operators has weighed heavy on the minds of those in the business and kept industry commentators particularly busy. Autumn is also a hectic period for conferences, and amongst the discussions in panel sessions and coffee breaks, there is consensus that, whilst E&P companies have seen a return to profitability, there is a fundamental problem in the industry of over-supply. However, when looking at the Large segment (which, based on MTOW, is typically defined as including the S-61, S-92, H215/225, Mi8), there seems to be little consensus on exactly what can be done about it, or, indeed, just how over-supplied it is.