Helicopter market propelled upward

Rising demand as air space opens up for private use across the nation

Foreign helicopter manufacturers are confident of benefiting from the continuous growth of China's aviation market and their Chinese counterparts' development of production lines.

"China has around 300 civil helicopters now and it is estimated that by 2015 it will have 500," said Bruno Boulnois, chief executive officer of Eurocopter China, which has almost 50 percent of the market share in China.

That figure should rise to 1,000 in 2020, he added.

Eurocopter received orders valued at 300 million euros ($385 million) in China in 2011, which was more than double the number in 2010. Its revenues were 200 million euros in China last year.

"China's helicopter market is expected to see double-digit growth over the next several years," said Ed Beyer, vice-president of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp, one of the main helicopter manufacturers in the United States.

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