Rising oil prices could fuel H225 Super Puma’s return to offshore market

Rising oil prices could drive offshore development and accelerate a revival of the H225 Super Puma helicopter, a decade after a safety crisis, outgoing Airbus Helicopters CEO Bruno Even stated, Reuters reports.

The Super Puma was grounded for six months following a 2016 crash in which the main rotor blades separated, killing 13 people returning from a Norwegian oil platform. While offshore operators in Brazil, Nigeria, and Asia are now using the redesigned H225, North Sea operators continue to avoid it, despite the model’s roots dating back to the 1970s oil shock.

“It is for clients to decide, but I am convinced that in coming years it will continue to increase market share in the offshore market,” Even said.

The appeal of costly offshore oil reserves is growing as oil prices, which have surged since the US-Israeli attacks on Iran in late February, are on track for a record monthly rise. While the industry has been moving toward smaller helicopters, the H225 could see renewed demand for long-range operations as the Sikorsky S-92 approaches replacement, Even said in an interview.

The H225 supply chain has remained active in part due to strong demand for military variants, he added. Overall, supply chains have improved, with the proportion of missing parts falling in 2025 to the lowest level in several years. “We still have some suppliers with difficulties and we need to be able to address these,” Even noted.

Even, who steps down this week after eight years leading the world’s largest civil helicopter manufacturer, oversaw a doubling of the company’s order book. He will be succeeded by Airbus strategy chief Matthieu Louvot.

Last year, Even unveiled Airbus Helicopters’ first all-new product in a decade, the H140, intended eventually to replace the H135, widely used by emergency services. Both models will continue to be offered, he said.

In 2023, Reuters reported that a project called X9, initially surfaced under Even’s predecessor, had evolved into a potential future successor to the H145 model, with plans to build a demonstrator. In late 2024, Airbus Helicopters purchased land adjacent to its German factory, where the H135 and H145 are produced, providing “significant potential” for expansion or future developments, according to a 2025 German filing.

Even declined to comment on coded research projects. “If there are names beginning with X, it’s possibly because they are not meant to be commented on externally,” he said.

Demand remains strong for the current H145. “That doesn’t mean that, like any self-respecting company, we aren’t working on innovation to be able to launch a programme when the market requires. That’s true for all our portfolio,” Even added.

R&D spending has broadly risen since 2023, though Airbus is cautious not to let this dampen demand for longstanding best-sellers such as the H125. “There isn’t a single day in these eight years that I haven’t thought about the successor to each of our products,” he said.

Asked what might drive a replacement for the H125, Even said, “It’s a mixture of engines, architecture, and hybrid (power). That’s the segment most likely to introduce some electric solutions. I don’t think the conditions are there yet.”

By Vafa Guliyeva