Education is a cornerstone of Helitech International 2014, being held at Amsterdam RAI from 14 - 16 October, in association with the European Helicopter Association (EHA). Delegates will hear leading figures from operators, suppliers, regulatory and academic communities speak on prevalent issues within the rotorcraft industry. Key sessions include emerging market opportunities and the implications of increased Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) usage.
The three-day programme starts on Tuesday 14 October with the Business and Strategy Conference, and opens with the Industry Business Leaders' Forum featuring high-level speakers including Jonathan Baliff, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bristow Group; Robert Dranitzke, Managing Director, Milestone Aviation; Daniele Romiti, CEO, AgustaWestland and Guillaume Faury, President and CEO, Airbus Helicopters.
The Conference will address the challenges facing the rotorcraft industry over the next five to ten years, the outlook for global rotorcraft sales and identify key regional trends and market opportunities. The forum will debate both the challenges and the opportunities that lie ahead, as well as looking at how Original Equipment Manufacturers and their industry partners might support future rotorcraft business growth.
Jonathan Baliff commented: "We believe that the right objective at this time for us is to have 30 to 35 per cent of our aircraft leased with the remainder owned - we think that's a prudent structure. Currently, we have approximately 25 per cent of aircraft on operating leases. Leverage is also important to allow the product to be correctly priced and to take advantage of the tremendous amount of liquidity in the debt markets. I think Bristow has been a leader in showing what a financially prudent company looks like."
Following the business leaders' round table discussion, the next session "ATM Innovative RPAS Integration for Coastguard Applications (AIRICA) Project" will be presented by Ed Veen, Director of the Netherlands Coastguard. With UAVs taking an increasingly significant place on the rotary wing stage, as well as bringing new challenges in the area of air traffic management, Mr Veen will outline operational applications for law enforcement and service delivery by the Netherlands Coastguard.
The next session of the Business and Strategy Conference will focus on aerial fire-fighting. Jaime Arqué, President, AECA & Helicópteros, will report on the current state of play in Spain, Portugal, Italy and France, including contracts held and the business strategy employed. Carlos-Abrego-Aguilar, Chief Financial Officer and Fleet Director, FAASA Group, will look at the financial dimension of aerial fire-fighting, analysing length of contracts versus finance requirements, and future medium and heavy fleet requirements set against budget restrictions.
Peter Turi, CEO, TrustAir, will then take the stage to describe his experiences of establishing Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) in Central Eastern Europe. HEMS is another area where helicopters make a major contribution to saving lives and relieving suffering. Mr Turi's presentation will include establishing the necessary co-operation between healthcare services on the ground and aviation services.
On Wednesday 15 October, the EHA will host the EHA Rotorcraft Seminars. Dr Norbert Lohl, Certification Director at the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), will deliver the keynote address describing how EASA will further enhance its ability to provide even more product-oriented solutions, based on experience and lessons learnt to date.
Safety is the theme on Thursday 16 October when the European Helicopter Safety Team (EHEST) and the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) stage a Safety Workshop which will focus on key elements impacting rotorcraft safety.
