MOSCOW. May 21 (Interfax-AVN) - The world will manufacture 15,800 helicopters worth a total of $131 billion from 2010 to 2019, an expert with the International Helicopter Association forecast on Thursday.
Mark Gibson told a conference that 9,600 civil helicopters costing a total of $27 billion and 6,200 military choppers costing a total of $104 billion would be produced within this decade.
Light one- and two-engine helicopters will dominate the market, Gibson predicted. Russia is absent from this segment of the market.
Light one-engine helicopters would make up 54% and light two-engine ones 17% of the 9,600 civil choppers that are to be produced, Gibson said.
The conference was part of the HeliRussia 2010 show in Moscow.
The head of the Russian Association of the Helicopter Industry, Mikhail Kazachkov, said Russia has 1,873 civil helicopters and that Mil Mi-8 transport helicopters and their modifications make up the bulk of them.
Russia is also increasing its imports of helicopters, Kazakhkov said. The country had 207 imported helicopters by the end of 2008 but 252 as of the end of 2009. Most of them were Robinson R44 light helicopters - there are 167 of them in Russia.