The Helicopter is Not Finished yet

Faced with the powerful offensive of ecologists who find this machine too noisy, too fuel-consuming and above all reserved for the wealthiest, at least in private transport use, we began to imagine the end of this mode of transport, especially since its replacement seemed ready to take over, I am talking about the eVTOLs (Electric Vertical Take Off and Landing) adorned with all the virtues. It must be admitted that the latest news is not very optimistic about the replacement of helicopters.

This is evidenced by the recent orders made by the major manufacturers like Airbus, Leonardo, Bell, and Sikorsky have demonstrated the renewed interest in a machine that is very difficult to do without. The best score was made by Airbus Helicopters with 118 orders, including 63 firm orders, at the last Verticon show held in mid-March in Dallas. The restart was felt in 2024 with 455 orders for these aircraft for Airbus Helicopters alone, more than in 2019, all for 182 customers in 42 countries.

It must be said that the helicopter fulfills many very varied missions: from medical evacuations to water bombers, including civilian transport, air defense and even police operations. In short, this is a multifunction machine that has proven itself since the early 1950s. Recent orders show that the reputation of this transport is very resistant to denigration and administrative measures designed to slow down its development, especially since we were seeing the rapid development of its successor, the eVTOL, let’s say the electrically powered helicopter, which is therefore much quieter with its ability to be piloted from the ground with an electronic version announced as very close. The time of passenger-carrying drones was near.

But everything is not so simple. Setbacks are piling up on start-ups that are well established. This is how the European leader Volocopter, selected to operate a service during the Olympic Games between Charles de Gaulle airport and a barge installed on the Seine that never took place, was led to file for bankruptcy at the end of December 2024. The reason for this is unfortunately simple: the company has not found the necessary funding, including from the German national or regional authorities, to carry out the transition from concept to industrial production. This is very sad. This shows the considerable difficulties that developers have to face. Electric propulsion is a first obstacle, but there are many others, first and foremost the management of airspace in environments that are already very congested by current air traffic.

It’s not all over yet, but the hopes raised by eVTOLs have led to desires and these can only be satisfied by conventionally powered helicopters. It will probably take many years to see the replacement of helicopters by eVTOLs, especially since the enormous capital needed for research and industrial development will instead be directed towards aircraft. Indeed, orders are so plethoric and environmental issues so significant that money will go primarily to the aircraft to the detriment of new concepts.

The helicopter still has a bright future ahead of it. It will not only continue its current uses, which will be reinforced by the needs of emerging countries, but it will certainly, finally, be used to open up populations far from major centers, judging by the desire of many economic actors wishing to free themselves from urban constraints while they can carry out their activity largely with the digital tools at their disposal. A day will come when local services between small towns far from large urban centres will accept and even demand their helicopter connections. It will cost infinitely less than letting these small agglomerations wither away. Of course, we can still dream of the arrival of eVTOLs, but their generalization is unfortunately not for tomorrow.

One last remark to conclude. The city of Paris is gradually closing its heliport, located near the city center, to commercial traffic to transfer the latter 60 kilometers from the capital. It goes to show that we can easily make decisions that make no sense, probably under the effect of the best intentions in the world.