Amid continuing supply chain difficulties and lengthening OEM lead times, the used market for helicopters continues to play an increasingly vital role.
In March 2025 at VERTICON, Rotortrade’s CEO Philippe Lubrano spoke to journalists during a breakfast briefing. He told them: “This year, the industry finds itself at a turning point, with demand far outpacing supply. That is making the pre-owned segment more critical than ever.”
Some people may perceive the pre-owned helicopter market as a shadow of the primary/factory-new market, offering old, out-of-date aircraft, some of which may no longer be in production. Yet the reality is that the used market provides an essential, cost-effective alternative for many operators, while for owners and lessors it represents a second chance for their assets, an opportunity to think long-term and apply fleet management strategies. Let’s take a tour of the current state of the pre-owned helicopter market and consider a few tips to help navigate it.
Market resilience
At the end of 2024, the global pre-owned helicopter market stood at a total inventory value of USD 1,099 million, an increase of a little more than nine per cent compared to the end of 2023. Helicopter categories and types are not equal in the secondary market, and at the end of 2024 the singe engine category inventory experienced the most growth, accounting for 43.5 per cent of the total inventory value. The light twin-engine category represented approximately 250 million USD, while the medium twin-engine category fell in value by 27 million to 257 million USD. The heavy category represented the smallest percentage of available inventory, with only six aircraft listed as available for sale.
Moving on to sales, in Q4 2024, there were 162 transactions in the global helicopter market, a decrease of 3.6 per cent from Q3. Single turbine helicopters had the highest transaction volume, with 110 units sold. The Airbus H125 led the category with 25 transactions, followed by the Bell 206B-3 (19) and the Bell 407 (18). In the medium category, 28 helicopters were sold, with the Leonardo AW139 leading the way on nine, followed by the Bell 412EP (7) and the Sikorsky S76C++ (6). In the light twin category, the Leonardo AW109SP was the most popular model, with seven sales. Only four helicopters sold in the heavy category, with three of them being Airbus H225s. The best-performing models on the pre-owned market were the Airbus H145 and H135, followed by Leonardo’s AW139. For Bell, the most successful models were the 206L-4 and 407.
The speed of transactions slowed a little in 2024, with the average days on market for helicopters increasing to 376 days, up from 368 in 2023, mainly due to longer days on market for light twin and single turbine helicopters, representing 83 per cent of all helicopters listed for sale.
At the end of 2024, the percentage of all helicopters available for sale stood at 2.8 per cent of the global fleet. In general, the helicopter industry has a low supply of suitable aircraft and high mission demand in sectors like firefighting, emergency and defence, mainly due to a combination of geopolitical and environmental crises where helicopters perform critical work. Add to this the backlog in order books, the global supply chain issues and extended OEM lead times, and you have the ideal ingredients for a buoyant market and strong absorption of pre-owned inventory.
Some operators and lessors are growing increasingly aware of the opportunity to be successful in the secondary market ahead of time, by anticipating the second life of their assets. Multiple opportunities arise in the secondary market, albeit that it is often not easy to accurately predict and navigate.
Decision points
Many participants are active in the secondary market – not only operators and lessors, but also brokers, traders, parts companies and private buyers/sellers. The processes and dynamics of the secondary market are often not as straightforward as the primary market, and competition to secure good quality aircraft can be fierce. Leasing or buying a pre-owned aircraft can entail several more layers of intricacy compared to dealing with a factory new aircraft, mostly involving documentation, due diligence and inspections. All parties engaged in a helicopter sale or lease transaction must be satisfied that the aircraft is able to fly technically, but also legally, unhindered and with clear proof of title/ownership.
These transactions can often be complex, involving a chain of buyers, sellers, brokers, financiers, lessors and lessees, and each party may involve various expert advisers or service providers relating to law, financial and technical matters, and often employ escrow agents to manage the disbursement of funds. Although it remains to be seen what the true effect of the recent US government trade tariffs will be, international sales are commonplace for used aircraft, especially with demand for certain models often exceeding supply. This means that a buyer must be prepared to reach further to obtain the right aircraft.
When buying a pre-owned aircraft, there are a few crucial considerations before putting pen to paper.
- Is the aircraft permitted to fly in your country under local regulations – for example, does it meet the requirements of the locally approved type certificate, any applicable supplemental type certificates and other approvals for modifications and alterations?
- Is the airworthiness certificate still valid and has all maintenance been performed in accordance with aviation authority and OEM’s requirements – do you need an export airworthiness certificate?
- Is the aircraft eligible for clean export from the seller’s jurisdiction and immediate importation into your own country of operation?
- How will the helicopter be transported back to your home base – is it necessary to arrange sea or air freight or is it possible to ferry fly?
After planning all these basic prerequisites, you will then need to arrange registration in your country of operation and local airworthiness certification. If you plan on leasing instead of buying a used helicopter, the leasing company or financial institution and their advisers will need to work closely in collaboration to execute a smooth transaction for all parties.
Fleet selection
Technically, few factors limit the working life of a helicopter, and the secondary market demonstrates how so many models can be bought and sold decades after their original certification. If the aircraft has been properly maintained, has committed continued continual support for the OEM and a solid supply chain of spare parts, then a helicopter can still fly well after reaching 50 years of age.
Parts can be replaced, overhauled and fatigue life limits adhered to in keeping with a maintenance programme. Even avionics, navigation and cockpit instrumentation systems can be upgraded to the latest digital technology, ensuring that the helicopter remains not only flyable, but marketable and valuable in the years ahead. The main reason why operators choose a pre-owned aircraft instead of a new one is usually price. With the extremely high costs associated with operating an aircraft, the affordability of pre-owned aircraft allows operating businesses to be initiated and established without vast financial backing that would otherwise not be possible.
Pre-owned helicopters therefore offer the means to grow fleet size, business scale, revenue and profit. The secondary market is also essential for OEMs as it provides a platform for new operators to develop and mature, to become the potential buyers of brand-new helicopters in the future. Older or more established helicopter models often have the advantage of having a proven track record of performance and reliability, helping operators make informed decisions.
An operator can ensure that aircraft meet all specifications and performance criteria needed to successfully perform its mission, without a learning curve or dealing with possible teething problems of new technology or excessive unknown maintenance and operational costs. Depending on a helicopter’s age and previous operational status, there may or may not be an extensive maintenance history. A thorough pre-purchase inspection in essential.
Helicopters in the secondary market are usually sold in their existing configuration, meaning that the cabin interior, equipment such as rescue hoist, cargo hook, type of seats, navigation/instruments, including fixed structural and electrical provisions, may need to be changed for the next type of mission. In some cases, customisation, or mission repurposing could require completely stripping the airframe, fabrication of parts and extensive maintenance downtime. Certain options may not be financially viable to retrofit. OEMs or other vendors may be able to support customisation or alteration by providing parts and engineering data, but restrictions may exist, especially for very old models or very small fleet sizes. Helicopter owners should have a remarketing and mission strategy to help facilitate, and justify, the investment in the re-sale or re-lease of their aircraft after its first life has passed.
Attracting customers and partners
A well-thought-out remarketing strategy is key: it ensures that aircraft won’t sit forever in a hangar whilst searching for new operators. Remarketing not only requires consideration at the time of the re-sale or re-lease of the aircraft, but it should start as early as the initial acquisition. Considering the second life of the helicopter you are about to purchase is a good way to get your money’s worth on the investment once you decide to sell it. For heavy helicopters, thinking ahead and trying to consider market trends and possibilities for repurposing is even more essential due to the proportionally greater maintenance and conversion costs.
In 2022, Milestone announced that they would try to stimulate the pre-owned market of the Sikorsky S-92. Pat Sheedy, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “We do need to create that channel for older aircraft to leave their primary mission – it’s about managing that fleet.” Partnering with Helitak, an Australian firefighting equipment designer, the two companies developed the FT5000, a lightweight 4,000-litre collapsible tank specifically designed for the S-92. A few years earlier, Texas-based operator Air Center Helicopters, Inc. (ACHI) bought 17 Airbus H225s. These were available at viable price point due to the decline of their usage in the oil and gas industry. ACHI successfully repurposed these helicopters from offshore to utility configuration. A cargo hook, rescue hoist, changing of passenger seats, stretchers, etc., and the newly repurposed aircraft were ready for their second life. The company now deploys a large fleet of H225s for operations such as complex external lifting, personnel recovery, evacuations and, more recently, support of NASA and SpaceX astronaut recovery.
Aircraft in utility configuration often sell more easily in the pre-owned market due to their versatility and broad operational capabilities. Investing in maintenance is one thing, but ensuring the aircraft have provisions for additional mission equipment can make all the difference when seeking re-deployment in the used market. Partnering with like-minded, solution-oriented operators, OEMs and mission equipment vendors is key to the successful deployment of a repurposed machine.
Despite technological advancements such as enhanced/automated flight control systems, added redundancy/safety features, more sophisticated avionics lighter weight and stronger materials, increased engine power, and in the not-so-distant future electric power trains, for many helicopter models, with the appropriate mission selection, a helicopter’s pure functional capability as a working machine if highly resistant to obsolescence. With increasing costs, supply chain issues and extended OEM lead times more prevalent than ever, it looks as though the pre-owned market will remain vital to industry supply in the years ahead.
Originally published by RotorHub in the August/September 2025 issue: RotorHub International – HMG Aerospace
