Regional Overview – Civil Helicopter Fleet Report YE 2024

This article is extracted from the most recent edition of The Civil Helicopter Fleet Report.
To read or download the full report, please click here.

After five consecutive years of growth, Australia’s helicopter fleet surpassed the 1,000 mark for the first time, reaching 1,016 helicopters by the end of 2024. This solidified its position as the largest helicopter market in the Asia-Pacific region. Following Australia were mainland China, Japan and New Zealand, with fleets of 697, 670 and 568 helicopters, respectively. Collectively, these four countries accounted for 71.4% of the region’s total fleet.

Australia led the Asia-Pacific helicopter market by adding 54 units—the highest increase within the region. Notably, approximately half of the additions were singleengine helicopters. Given the country’s vast geography, extensive remote areas, and the need for cost-effective, agile operations, single-engine helicopters were particularly well-suited to meet local transportation and emergency service requirements. Moreover, Australia’s mature market—with well-established operational practices and regulatory framework-supports sustained fleet modernization and expansion.

Malaysia followed with a modest increase of six helicopters, while South Korea maintained its position by adding five units. New Zealand, India, the Philippines, and mainland China each recorded an increase of four helicopters. Notably, mainland China experienced its largest net decline in 2023-shedding 13 helicopters, but rebounded in 2024 with a positive net addition of four. Additionally, Thailand demonstrated remarkable relative growth with a rate of 10.7%, albeit with only three new young helicopters in different missions.

Bangladesh and Hong Kong kept their fleet size unchanged for two consecutive years at 28 and 17, respectively. Conversely, Japan and Indonesia recorded a net decrease of seven helicopters each. Other smaller markets experienced fleet contractions: Papua New Guinea saw a reduction of two helicopters, and Nepal and Vietnam both decreased by three.

Within the sub-regional markets, Oceania continued to lead by adding 53 aircraft in 2024, achieving a growth rate of 3.2% — a notable increase from 26 additions (1.6%) in 2023, reflecting strong demand and active fleet upgrades.

Greater China, after a decline of 15 helicopters in 2023, rebounded with the addition of seven units in 2024, resulting in a modest 1.0% growth rate. Southeast Asia improved slightly as well, turning a previous loss of 15 aircraft into a gain of four units, with a growth rate of 0.8%. Meanwhile, East Asia experienced only a minimal increase of one aircraft, as the South Asia fleet continued to drop, recording a small decline of one aircraft in 2024.

This article is extracted from the most recent edition of The Civil Helicopter Fleet Report.
To read or download the full report, please click here.