Offshore Aviation Logistics

Global Market Outlook on Offshore Aviation Logistics

• The offshore aviation logistics market is estimated at $3.10 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow up to $3.48 billion by 2026, with an estimated CAGR of 3.9 percent

• The North Sea is the largest offshore market in the world for helicopter operators. Prior to the pandemic, close to 2 million passengers a year were flying offshore from about 16 bases in the U.K., the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway

• Latin America spend is anticipated to grow strongly, driven by continued offshore activity in Brazil and the emergence of Guyana’s offshore oil and gas market

Offshore Helicopters – Global

The offshore aviation logistics market is estimated at $3.1 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow up to $3.48 billion by 2026, with an estimated CAGR of 3.9 percent.

• The offshore aviation logistics market is estimated at $3.1 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow up to $3.48 billion by 2026, with an estimated CAGR of 3.9 percent

• The North Sea is the largest offshore market in the world for helicopter operators. Prior to the pandemic, close to 2 million passengers a year were flying offshore from about 16 bases in the U.K., the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway

• Offshore wind-related helicopter expenditure is expected to be around $130 million in the forecasted period, with a CAGR of

• 17 percent

• Brazil has been the largest revenue contributor with 68% of the market share in South American region. The country has been investing in improving its search and rescue (SAR) services.  

• Western Europe remains the largest region by expenditure, accounting for 30 percent of the global spend

• With the new platforms coming online, Gulf of Mexico oil production is expected to grow substantially in the coming years

• Latin America is expected to witness a growth of 4.3 percent CAGR, primarily due to greenfield projects in Brazil and Guyana

Offshore Helicopter: Cost Structure Analysis

Owning and operating a helicopter might be difficult, considering the cost and maintenance. Therefore, cost saving is limited to the crew. By having its own roaster of pilot, clients can have better flexibility in operating the helicopters and this can help clients in optimizing the crew cost by 10–15 percent in the crew costs

Cost Analysis

• Helicopter charter rates cost splits into fixed and variable costs

• Fixed costs includes crew cost, training cost, insurance, hangar fee and constitutes to 38.1 percent of the total cost

• Variables cost covers fuel cost, maintenance, and other crew cost like regulatory and testing costs

• Aircraft maintenance is the key variable cost component with a share of 35 percent in the overall charter cost for helicopter, as it requires to keep them in a safe operating environment

• Insurance charges are high for offshore helicopters than civilian helicopters, due to the high risk involved in it

• Scope of cost saving is limited to the crew cost